Three suspected members of a local Vietnamese drug gang, two men and a woman, were arrested between Wednesday night and yesterday for drug trafficking, resulting in the seizure of 42.8 grammes of ice, 69 ecstasy pills with an estimated street value of 160,000 patacas as well as 4,000 patacas in suspected drug money, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Mark Sou Sio Keong said at a special press conference yesterday.
The trio were arrested based on information the police had obtained from a local drug abuser who was arrested on Wednesday night. The local suspect is a 27-year-old businessman surnamed Lo.
The three Vietnamese suspects comprise a 24-year-old non-resident male worker surnamed Truong who works as a kitchen helper, a 26-year-old jobless man surnamed Nguyen who is holding a temporary stay permit and a 27-year-old non-resident female worker surnamed Pham who works as a waitress.
According to Sou, Truong was the gang’s “backbone”, while Pham and Nguyen were its drug sellers.
Sou said that the Judiciary Police had been tipped off a week ago that a number of Vietnamese were selling drugs in the city centre.
PJ officers took action on Wednesday night and, based on the tip-off, arrested Lo in Zape and seized a packet of 0.55 grammes of ice that he had on him. Lo told the police that he bought the drugs for his own use.
The Judiciary Police intercepted Pham and Nguyen later that night in Iao Hon district. Sou said Nguyen resisted arrest during the operation, causing minor injuries to two officers. Eight packets of ice weighing 5.8 grammes, a digital scale and a number of ziplock bags were seized at Pham’s home.
According to Sou, the Judiciary Police arrested Truong at about 1 a.m. yesterday and seized from his home as well as his mailbox 36.49 grammes of ice and ecstasy pills as well as 4,000 patacas in suspected drug money.
The Judiciary Police believe that Truong provided drugs to Pham and Nguyen to sell mostly to other Vietnamese. The gang charged its “clients” 1,000 patacas per ziplock bag containing 0.6 grammes of ice, Sou said.
Sou said the four suspects tested positive for drugs and believe that the gang had been operating for about two months. According to Sou, all four refused to cooperate with the police. At the time of the press conference, the police were still looking for other possible suspects and investigating where the gang got its drugs from, according to Sou.
The quartet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday. The three Vietnamese are facing charges of trafficking in narcotic and psychotropic substances while Nguyen also faces charges of coercion and failing to obey police orders. Lo faces a drug abuse charge, according to Sou.
The four hooded drug suspects are escorted by the Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a vehicle yesterday. Photos: Iong Tat Choi
Evidence seized from the suspects such as a number of ziplock bags of ice and ecstasy pills, five smartphones, a mailbox and a digital scale are displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday.
