Macau arrests 71 accused of loan sharking out of a VIP room

Macau might be best known for its casinos, but it has a dark side as well. Police have announced the arrests of 71 people who were allegedly running a loan shark operation, the Macau Post Daily reports.

The arrests were revealed in a February 21 police briefing. The accused were said to have loaned HKD108 million (US$13.8 million) since 2016, bringing in a modest profit of HKD32 million (US$4 million).

The alleged leader of the gang, a 53-year-old Chinese man named Ma, was caught in the arrests. Other leaders of the gang hailed from China as well, with some coming from Macau and Hong Kong, according to the report, while other members of the gang allegedly came from Thailand.

Rather than working out of a dark alley like some kind of shmucks, these guys were classy. Police revealed they were operating out of a VIP room in one of Macau’s casinos, keeping their documentation and profits all in one place.