100 Arrested in Macau over Illegal Money Exchanges
Law enforcement authorities in Macau, Guangdong, China, and Hong Kong arrested around 100 individuals linked to illegal money exchange operations during a joint month-long crackdown known as Thunderstorm 2025. The coordinated campaign targeted organized money exchange gangs and related gambling offenses across major entertainment and gaming venues in Macau throughout August.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Officials reported that 625 inspections and enforcement actions were carried out in casinos, nightclubs, entertainment venues and surrounding areas as part of the operation. These measures resulted in the detection of 62 cases of illegal money exchange activity, which authorities attributed to organized groups operating within the region’s gaming sector. Police said that approximately 100 suspects connected to these gangs were apprehended during the campaign.
Related: New Money Exchange Rules in Macau Cause Major Increase in CrimeAlongside money exchange activities, police detected a range of other gambling-related crimes. Authorities identified 29 cases involving illegal lending for gambling, leading to the arrest of 41 suspects.
Investigators also resolved 85 fraud cases, taking into custody another 100 individuals, while 14 money laundering cases were identified and 16 people arrested. In total, 405 individuals involved in criminal cases were subjected to compulsory legal measures. Of those, 13 were remanded in custody and one received a custodial sentence with immediate imprisonment.
Macau has faced a marked increase in gaming-related crimes since the enforcement of new legislation criminalizing unlicensed money exchange operations in October 2024. Figures released by security officials show that 567 gaming crimes were reported in the first three months of 2025. This represents a rise of 216 cases, or 61.5%, compared with the same period in 2024.
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Fraud Still High in Macau
Fraud accounted for the largest proportion of these crimes in the first quarter of 2025, with 152 cases recorded. This category made up 26.8% of all reported gaming-related offenses. Unlawful currency exchange ranked as the second largest category, with 132 cases representing 23.3% of the total. Another significant offense was loansharking, with 51 cases recorded, amounting to 9% of the total number of incidents.
Authorities emphasized that the 132 unlawful currency exchange cases were responsible for more than 60% of the year-on-year increase in reported gaming crimes. Officials explained that the revised legal framework has broadened the classification of gaming-related criminal activity, thereby expanding the scope of cases included in official statistics. The inclusion of a wider range of unlicensed exchange activities following the new law has contributed to the reported increase.
Despite the growth in reported incidents, law enforcement agencies noted a significant reduction in the number of large organized exchange gangs intercepted during police operations. In the first quarter of 2025, 251 gangs were dismantled, compared to 1,292 during the same period the previous year. This represents a decrease of 1,041 cases, or 80.6%.
Authorities believe the decline in large-scale organized groups suggests that recent enforcement and legal changes have disrupted traditional gang structures. However, the persistence of isolated unlawful exchange cases indicates that criminal operations may now be more fragmented and dispersed.
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