Macau Customs Service and Public Security Police (PSP) officers cracked down on another parallel trading spot in an industrial building in Areia Preta yesterday.
Lam Fat Lun, a senior customs officer, told reporters that the suspects had installed multiple CCTV cameras in the area to make arresting them more difficult.
Lam made the remarks last night after inviting the media to witness customs and police officers busting the parallel trading spot.
According to Lam, the seven arrested men comprise a Hong Kong resident, five non-resident workers and a holder of a travel permit for mainlanders to enter Macau to visit family members. He said that the Macau Customs Service was recently tipped off about suspected parallel trading activities in an industrial building. He added that customs officers located the industrial building and decided to bust the unit with PSP officers yesterday evening. He noted that they found a large number of beauty products in the unit. However, he underlined that the Macau Customs Service was still calculating their commercial value last night.
Meanwhile, Lam said, a police officer intercepted a parallel trader and found a quantity of beauty products and receipts on the person. He pointed out that after questioning, the person admitted that he or she had picked up products from the unit and had been promised 150 yuan for taking the products across the border.
A senior PSP officer, Sou Tak Sen, told reporters that the seven men are aged between 22 and 52. He pointed out that the officers suspect that the Hong Kong resident was in charge of the unit, adding that he had hired the five non-resident workers and the travel permit holder as parallel traders to take the products from Macau to the mainland. He said that the Hong Kong suspect denied being involved in the case but was pointed out by the parallel traders as being involved in the case. He underlined that the case has been transferred to the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) and the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for follow-up.
This handout photo taken yesterday and provided by the Macau Customs Service shows two of its officers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while checking goods seized from a parallel trading spot.
