Two suspects were arrested early Tuesday near the shoreline in Ka Ho in Coloane for people smuggling using a speedboat to carry mainlanders illegally in and out of Zhuhai and Macau, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a special press conference yesterday.
Two others aged 30 and 40 caught near Pac On Ferry Terminal are illegal immigrants who arrived in Macau together by the speedboat arranged by the duo. Chong said that the latter has been banned from entering Macau for two years since last November because of overstaying in Macau while the former was unable to apply for a permit in the mainland to visit Macau.
The two suspects are a 38-year-old jobless man and a 23-year-old fisherman both surnamed Li. One of them was the people-smuggling vessel’s skipper while the other was giving navigation guidance. The duo are alleged members of a people-smuggling gang.
According to Chong, Judiciary Police received intelligence recently that a people-smuggling gang was using a speedboat to transport mainlanders to illegally travel between Zhuhai and Macau. The Judiciary Police launched a joint investigation with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) in Zhuhai. They identified the gang members and their modus operandi. The Judiciary Police and the Macau Customs Service took joint action early Tuesday. The two forces discovered the vessel off the waterfront near Pac On Ferry Terminal in Taipa when it was speeding off after offloading two passengers. Customs officers later intercepted the speedboat and the two Lis on the boat near the shore in Ka Ho, while the two passengers were caught by the Judiciary Police near Pac On Ferry Terminal.
Upon questioning, the two Lis denied their involvement in people smuggling. They claimed that they “only” charged each passenger 1,000 yuan (1,260 patacas) to operate the speedboat for them.
However, the Judiciary Police had gathered intelligence according to which the duo charged their clients 30,000 yuan each per trip between Macau and Zhuhai. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation and are looking for other possible members of the gang, Chong said.
The two Lis were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday morning, facing charges of organised crime and aiding and abetting illegal immigration and illegal stay, according to Chong.
The two hooded people-smuggling suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle in Zape yesterday.
Evidence seized from the two suspects such as four smartphones and life-jackets is displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday. Photos courtesy of TDM
