The government of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Wednesday announced that it has sealed 38 local premises which were suspected of providing accommodation illegally.

The SAR government's Cross-departmental Working Team has checked 313 premises ever since Aug. 13 when the law on " Prohibition of Providing Illegal Accommodation" took effect, the government said.

Meanwhile, a total of 305 occupants were taken for interrogation, including seven operators, four touts, four persons who manage the premises that provide accommodation illegally and two occupants who failed to fulfill their duty of cooperation, the government also said.

Among the occupants, there were five overstayers and one illegal immigrant, according to the SAR government.

Following the raid to premises suspected to provide accommodation illegally, the authorities also began sanction proceedings on involved operators, touts and managing staff, and adopted provisional measures to cut the supply of water and electricity to the concerned premises.

Under the new law, operators and person who manage the premise that provide accommodation illegally (management staff) incur a penalty up to 800,000 patacas (100,000 U.S. dollars), touts can be fined up to 100,000 patacas (12,500 dollars) and occupants who fail to cooperate are fined 3,000 patacas (375 dollars).