Four men were arrested on Wednesday night for taking and selling drugs, one of whom is a cabbie who used his taxi to sell and deliver the drugs, the Judiciary Police announced yesterday.
Police seized a total of 31.7 grammes of ice with an estimated street price of 110,000 patacas, PJ spokesman Chan Wun Man said at a special press conference yesterday.
The four suspects are – a 43-year-old local man surnamed Seck who has worked as a cabbie for 10 years, a 53-year-old local construction worker surnamed Chan, a 42-year-old local jobless man surnamed Lei, and a 38-year-old Filipino non-resident worker surnamed Adiwang who told the police that he works as a security guard.
According to the spokesman, the Judiciary Police received a tip-off about a week ago that someone was using a taxi as cover to engage in drug trafficking activities in the northern district. PJ officers identified Seck as the suspect and put him under surveillance on Wednesday afternoon. At about 9 p.m., the officers saw Seck driving in his cab in the Areia Preta district and suspected that he was driving under the influence of drugs. Therefore, the officers immediately arrested him to ensure the safety of pedestrians and other drivers. Police seized 1.14 grammes of ice as well as 5,000 patacas of suspected drug money from Seck’s taxi.
Under questioning, Seck admitted that he sold and took drugs and also drove under the influence of drugs. He told the police that he had been selling drugs for about three months and had bought drugs for 2,500 patacas from Chan which he then sold to Lei. The Judiciary Police later arrested Chan and Lei separately in Toi San district that night. Police seized 1.16 grammes of ice and 5,500 patacas of suspected drug money from Chan who admitted that he had been selling drugs for about three months and that he had sold some of the drugs to Seck, the spokesman said.
According to the spokesman, the Judiciary Police later arrested Adiwang near Avenida de Horta e Costa and seized a total of 15 packets of ice weighing 29.4 grammes from him as well as drug-taking paraphernalia and drug-packaging materials from his home in the neighbourhood. Adiwang admitted to selling drugs, including to Chan. However, he refused to reveal further details of his drug trafficking activities.
The spokesman said that the four men tested positive for ice. The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation to look for the source of the drugs as well as other possible suspects, according to the spokesman.
The quartet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, each facing a range of charges such as driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drug-taking paraphernalia, and selling and taking drugs, according to the spokesman.
Evidence seized from the four drug suspects such as ice, drug-taking paraphernalia, a digital scale and five smartphones is displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday. – Photos courtesy of TDM
The four hooded drug suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle in Zape yesterday.
