Macau man, 70, admits sham marriage for weekly sex to help woman gain residency

Macau's Public Security Police Force has uncovered a sham marriage that lasted 12 years, with a 70-year-old local man admitting he helped a mainland Chinese woman and her two children obtain Macau residency in exchange for weekly sex services.

The man, surnamed Lau, reportedly met the woman, surnamed Chan, while she was working as a domestic helper in Macau. They registered their marriage in mainland China in 2007. Lau then applied for Chan and her two children to move to Macau under family reunification, with residency granted in 2011. The couple divorced in 2019.

Lau admitted during investigation that the agreement was based on "once a week sexual services" as payment for helping Chan and her children fraudulently obtain Macau residency.

The case came to light when Lau recently applied for reunification with another mainland woman. Public Security Police Force reviewed his marriage records and found that he and Chan had minimal contact and their life patterns did not resemble a normal married couple.

Police intercepted Lau and Chan on Tuesday at a hotel in Taipa and at the Portas do Cerco border checkpoint. Chan denied all allegations. Both face charges including false declarations of identity. The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office.