The Judiciary Police (PJ) busted a case in which a Hong Kong drug gang used a tin of cookie rolls to hide drugs that they sent to Macau through a logistics company.
Four local men were separately arrested on Tuesday and yesterday, two of whom worked for the gang, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said at a special press conference yesterday.
In the operation, the Judiciary Police seized 49 packets of cocaine weighing 27.12 grammes and two packets of ice weighing 0.67 grammes with an estimated street price of 90,000 patacas.
The four suspects comprise two jobless suspects aged 37 and 35, both surnamed Chan but not related, a 37-year-old cabbie surnamed Vong and a 28-year-old property consultant surnamed Chu.
According to Lei, the Judiciary Police were recently tipped off that a Hong Kong drug gang had sent a parcel containing drugs hidden inside a tin of cookie rolls to Macau through a logistics company, to sell the drugs to customers at local night entertainment venues. The Judiciary Police identified two of the suspects and a taxi that the duo used during the drug-dealing trips around the city.
PJ officers later confirmed that the parcel arrived in Macau on Tuesday when it was collected by two men surnamed Chan in the evening. The duo went to a guesthouse in the city centre where the officers put them under surveillance. After about an hour, the 37-year-old suspect surnamed Chan left the guesthouse and took a taxi to Estrada do Canal dos Patos in Ilha Verde and walked around the area. Shortly afterwards, the suspect surnamed Chu met up with Chan. PJ officers arrested the two men and seized from Chan four packets of cocaine weighing 1.36 grammes, while Chu told the police that he was going to buy the cocaine from Chan for 900 patacas.
Lei said the PJ officers returned to the guesthouse with Chan to search his room where they arrested the 35-year-old suspect surnamed Chan. The officers seized 45 packets of cocaine weighing 25.76 grammes and two packets of ice weighing 0.67 grammes as well as a quantity of drug-taking paraphernalia in the room.
Under questioning, the 37-year-old suspect surnamed Chan admitted that he had been hired by a Hong Kong drug gang to sell drugs in Macau and was paid 100 patacas or Hong Kong dollars for every packet he sold. He told the police that the drugs were sent to Macau by the gang through a logistics company. He also told the police that he always took a taxi driven by a man surnamed Vong when collecting or delivering the drugs. The 35-year-old suspect surnamed Chan refused to cooperate with the police.
According to Lei, PJ officers went to Vong’s home in the northern district yesterday morning and arrested him. Vong admitted to helping Chan sell drugs and they shared the pay equally. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation to trace the source of the drugs and other possible suspects.
Lei said the two Chans tested positive for ice while Chu tested positive for cocaine.
The two Chans and Vong were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing drug charges, according to Lei, who did not elaborate on Chu’s situation.
The three hooded suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle yesterday. Photos: Iong Tat Choi
Evidence seized from the suspects such as a cookie roll tin, 45 packets of cocaine, two packets of ice, drug-taking paraphernalia and four smartphones is displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday.
