The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a newly-wed couple on Monday for selling drugs, PJ spokesman Chan Wun Man said during a special press conference yesterday.
Chan identified the male suspect as a 31-year-old local man surnamed Lam who told the police that he works as a taxi driver and the female suspect as a 36-year-old Vietnamese surnamed Phan who told the police that she is unemployed. They got married in Macau just a month ago.
The Judiciary Police received a tip-off a week ago that someone was selling drugs in Areia Preta district, Chan said.
According to Chan, PJ officers identified Phan as the main suspect and put a residential building in the district where she lives under surveillance on Monday afternoon.
At around 6 p.m., PJ officers saw Phan leaving the building and intercepted her.
According to Chan, the officers took her to her flat where they seized four packets of methamphetamine (also known as ice) weighing a total of 72.9 grammes, three magu pills and six ecstasy pills, with an estimated street value of 250,000 patacas, as well as an electronic scale and tools for packaging drugs.
When the officers were searching the flat, Lam returned home, after which they took the couple to the PJ headquarters for questioning.
Under questioning by the police, Phan admitted that she had been selling drugs to her compatriots at night entertainment venues in Areia Preta district for three months.
Phan told the police that she sold the drugs for 900 patacas per gramme, and that she had earnt 30,000 patacas so far, Chan said.
Phan told the police that she got the drugs from a gang. Chan said that the Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation to trace the source of the drugs.
According to Chan, Lam denied being involved in Phan’s drug-selling activities, saying that he did not know that his wife was selling drugs. However, the PJ officers concluded that Lam was involved in the drug-activities based on the evidence collected from the flat, Chan said.
A test showed that Phan is a drug user.
The couple have been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further questioning. Both face drug-trafficking charges, while Phan also faces a drug-using charge.
The hooded female drug-trafficking suspect sits in a Judiciary Police (PJ) van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape after being escorted by PJ officers yesterday. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
