Two illegal immigrants (IIs) from the mainland, who have both been formally barred from entering Macau, were arrested in Cotai on Sunday for their alleged involvement in a cross-border criminal gang engaged in people-smuggling activities, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chan Wun Man said during a special press conference yesterday.
The two jobless suspects, who had entered Macau illegally a few days ago, are surnamed Huang and Shi, Chan said, adding that Huang was the gang’s suspected kingpin. Chan also said that the gang had been operating for at least two weeks.
According to Chan, the Judiciary Police recently received intelligence that the gang would assist a 46-year-old mainland man to enter Macau illegally on Sunday through a construction site in Hengqin near the checkpoint, which connects wittoh Cotai via the Lotus Flower Bridge.
Based on the intelligence, Chan said, the Judiciary Police set up surveillance at the checkpoint at 3 a.m. on Sunday, where PJ officers saw the 39-year-old Shi “leading” the illegal immigrant surnamed Pang to enter Macau by “climbing up” the Lotus Flower Bridge from the construction site.
After entering Macau, the duo took a taxi and got out at Cotai Strip, where Pang met the 44-year-old Huang, while Shi got into another vehicle en route to a casino in Cotai, according to Chan, adding that the trio were arrested separately in Avenida Marginal Flor de Lótus and in a casino later that day.
Under questioning, Pang, who claimed to have entered Macau for casino gambling, admitted that he had contacted the gang through a WeChat group to help him enter Macau. Pang confessed that he had paid the gang 15,000 yuan (about 17,5000 patacas) after entering Macau, Chan said, adding that Huang and Shi refused to reveal any details related to their people-smuggling activities.
Chan also said that the officers seized three forged stay permits and casino chips worth HK$50,000 from Huang and Shi respectively.
According to Chan, Huang and Shi were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of organised crime, aiding and abetting illegal immigrants, illegal entry, document forgery, and using forged documents.
The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation into the case and believe that there are possibly more gang members still on the lam, while having informed the mainland police about the case, according to Chan.
Evidence seized from the two suspected members of a people-smuggling gang, such as casino chips, three smartphones and three forged stay permits, as well as photos provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) showing the duo and one of their “customers” being escorted by PJ officers to PJ vehicles, are displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the PJ headquarters in Zape. – Photo: Yuki Lei
