A woman and two men were arrested separately on Monday for drug trafficking involving 10.66 grammes of cocaine hidden in two computer keyboards with an estimated street value of 35,000 patacas, the first case of its kind discovered in Macau, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam said at a special press conference yesterday.
The three local suspects are: a 32-year-old jobless woman surnamed Ma; a 31-year-old jobless man surnamed Vong and a 26-year-old man surnamed Ng who told the police that he works as a real-estate agent.
There are two other men – a 29-year-old man surnamed Leong (Ma’s boyfriend) who told the police that he works as a junket operator, and a 27-year-old man surnamed Vong who told the police that he works as a chauffeur. Both claimed that they only drove and picked up the suspects.
Ho did not mention if the two Vongs were related.
According to Ho, the Judiciary Police received a tip-off a few days ago, and after analysing the case in conjunction with the Macau Customs Service, they learnt that a Hong Kong drug gang would send drugs by express delivery. They later confirmed that the parcel was received by a courier company in the northern district. PJ officers took action on Monday evening and waited outside the courier company. Ma showed up to collect the parcel and her boyfriend (the driver surnamed Leong) drove her there. PJ officers intercepted the duo and seized 30 packets of cocaine weighting 10.66 grammes hidden inside two computer keyboards in the parcel.
Under questioning, Ma confessed that Ng told her to collect the parcel and then take the parcel to him in the Long Yuen residential estate in Areia Preta district. PJ officers later arrested Ng outside the Long Yuen shopping mall. Ng admitted to telling Ma to collect the parcel and that he would then sell the drugs to the suspect surnamed Vong, according to Ho.
Based on information provided by Ng, the Judiciary Police arrested the third suspect (Vong) and the chauffeur surnamed Vong who drove him to the scene in Rua de João de Araújo near Avenida do Almirante Lacerda later that day. Vong (the third suspect) admitted to asking Ng to get him some drugs for his own use for 10,000 patacas, while Ma admitted to having a drug habit, Ho said.
As for the two men (Leong and Vong) who drove Ma and Vong to the scenes, both denied that they were involved in the case, saying they only drove the suspects to the designated locations and didn’t know anything about the case. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation into the case, according to Ho.
The trio were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing a drug trafficking charge while Ma and Vong also face a drug abuse charge, according to Ho.
The three hooded drug suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a vehicle yesterday.
Evidence seized from the suspects such as packets of drugs, six smartphones and two computer keyboards are displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the Judiciary Police headquarters. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
