Mainland Chinese Tourist Suspected of Cheating at Mahjong, Gets Beaten With Chair

June 21, 2016

One unfortunate Chinese mainland tourist learned the hard way not to mess with another man’s mahjong tiles.

Two people have been arrested following the attack of a mainland tourist in a Fan Tin Tseun grocery in Lok Ma Chau, Hong Kong on Monday night. According to South China Morning Post, the 37-year-old victim of the attack had allegedly been caught cheating during a game of mahjong with local players.

Mahjong, the popular game that originated in China, revolves around a set of 144 tiles and requires the use of skill, strategy and calculation. The game is commonly played with four players with variations of three players in some parts of Asia.

According to police, the victim, surnamed Zeng, was subsequently beaten up after being accused of using special contact lenses to see marks made with invisible ink on the tiles. The scam was supposedly made famous in a 1989 movie called “God of Gamblers” which starred Chow Yun-fat.

Zheng was playing with three local villagers in a grocery store off Castle Peak Road at around 10:15 p.m. Monday when he was assaulted. Police say Zheng was beaten and hit with a chair. A spokesman reported that he received head and shoulder injuries from the blows and was treated and discharged by North District Hospital.

Two two male villagers aged 30 and 58, believed to be involved in the attack, have been taken into custody. On Tuesday, officers paid a visit to the grocery market and seized two sets of mahjong tiles for inspection.

A source said:

“Initial investigations showed some marked tiles were found in the two sets of mahjong, but no contact lenses or spectacles [used to see the invisible marks] were found.

“It is possible arrests will be made later in connection with the ruse.”

An investigation is currently underway to determine the owner of the two sets of mahjong tiles. Crime-squad officers are also investigating whether Zeng had accomplices to help him with his scheme of the invisible markings.

Zheng, who was visiting his wife, a resident in Hong Kong, was taken to the police’s Border District Headquarters in Man Kam To Road for further questioning.

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