A 35-year-old mainland suspect, surnamed Chang, climbed over the wall surrounding the campus of the public University of Macau (UM) to get into Hengqin in an attempt to avoid going to trial in Macau, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong told reporters during a special press conference yesterday.
According to Chong, the police also arrested a 39-year-old man surnamed Li for helping Chang climb over the campus wall by providing a metal ladder, and a 53-year-old local taxi driver surnamed Wong who drove Chang to the campus.
Chong added that Chang and Li are mainlanders facing trial for alleged membership of a criminal organisation and aggravated theft charges. Chong pointed out that Li was arrested at a hotel in Zape.
Chong said that mainland police and the Macau Customs Service reported to the Judiciary Police on Monday that Chang was arrested in the mainland after he climbed over the campus wall on Sunday at 11 p.m. According to Chong, police officers investigating the case found a metal ladder left behind on the campus. Chong added that the taxi driver had driven Chang twice to reconnoiter the campus, on April 19 and May 1 respectively.
Chong underlined that the taxi driver admitted that he received 900 patacas for his “services”. Chong said the three suspects refused, however, to cooperate with the mainland and local police, adding that the case was still under investigation at the time of the press conference.
Chong said that the police believe that Chang attempted to avoid standing trial, so he decided to flee to the mainland. Chong noted that Chang and Li at the time of the incident were awaiting trial for the same case, and both were banned from leaving Macau.
Wong and Li were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, each facing a charge of aiding and abetting illegal immigration, according to Chong.
The two mainland suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle yesterday. Photo: Victor Lam
