Genting Highlands $630K Casino Chip-Theft Fugitive on the Run

• Suspect exchanged some stolen chips for cash before fleeing
• Police suspect possible accomplices in casino chip theft
• Authorities coordinate with border agencies, may involve Interpol

A former junket employee accused of stealing around US$630K in chips from Malaysia’s Genting Highlands casino in believed to have fled the country.

The suspect, identified as Victor Lee, 44, escaped across the country’s border, possibly to Thailand, and is considered fugitive, authorities said. Malaysian police are working closely with border security agencies in an effort to trace him and may may seek the assistance of Interpol.

Some Chips Cashed

Lee is alleged to have taken the chips from a closed room at the sprawling hill resort 35 miles north of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, on August 2. Police said he was able to exchange some of the chips for cash before making his escape but have been unable to determine the exact amount.

“Further investigations are still ongoing and we will track down any accomplices who made the chip exchange,” Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman told reporters Friday.

Junket operators typically work closely with casinos, especially in private rooms, giving them access to areas and processes not seen by the general public.

While most modern casinos embed RFID chips or unique serial numbers into high-value tokens, lower-denomination chips can be harder to track. If such chips are stolen, they may be redeemable if mixed into legitimate play before they are flagged as stolen in the casino’s system. This may explain why police believe some of the stolen chips have already been converted into cash.

Did Lee Act Alone?

Authorities are also examining whether Lee acted alone. If others were involved, they could have helped redeem chips in smaller amounts over time, making detection more difficult.

The theft was discovered when a junket room manager noticed the missing chips and lodged a police report. By the time casino security verified the loss and informed law enforcement, Lee had already left the resort.

Genting Highlands, operated by Resorts World Genting, is one of Southeast Asia’s largest casino complexes, attracting millions of visitors annually from Malaysia and abroad.