Macau police have arrested the prime suspect of this week’s brazen theft of $6.1m in gaming chips from the Wynn Macau casino.

On Friday, Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ) announced the arrest of the suspected chip thief, a 49-year-old Wynn Macau VIP gambling club croupier surnamed Lei, and Lei’s 70-year-old uncle Ho, a Wynn Macau security guard who police have fingered as Lei’s accomplice.

The two men were arrested on Thursday evening at a park in Taipa and were delivered to the Prosecution Office the following day. Police said only HKD20k of the HKD47.9m worth of stolen chips has been recovered to date, and the suspects have so far kept mum about the whereabouts of the remaining chips.

PJ officials told local reporters that Lei walked out of Wynn Macau at 7am on Tuesday after finishing his shift at a VIP gambling club. Lei reportedly warned the only other colleague on duty at that hour to “stay quiet” before stuffing the chips into a bag, after which Lei casually strolled out the door and made good his escape on a motorcycle.