A Vietnamese non-resident worker was arrested on Thursday for selling drugs and a total of 1.55 grammes of ice with a street value worth 5,000 patacas were seized from the suspect and at his home, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said at a special press conference on Friday.
The 33-year-old suspect surnamed Nguyen works as a cleaner.
According to Chong, PJ officers were tipped off earlier this month that a Vietnamese man was selling ice to locals. The officers identified Nguyen as the suspect and put him under surveillance on Thursday in the Rotunda de Carlos da Maia neighbourhood, near where he lives. PJ officers saw Nguyen leaving a building in the evening, looking nervous. The officers arrested him and seized two packets of ice weighing a total of 0.86 grammes. Afterwards, two packets weighing a total of 0.69 grammes of ice were discovered in his flat.
Under questioning, Nguyen admitted to buying 10 packets of ice for 8,000 patacas from someone at a night entertainment venue last month. He sold each packet for 1,000 patacas. Nguyen tested negative for drugs and PJ officers are investigating the source of the drugs and other possible suspects, Chong said.
Nguyen was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, facing charges of trafficking narcotics and psychotropic substances, according to Chong.
