Two local men were arrested separately on Friday for smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to Macau and drug trafficking, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during a special press conference on Saturday.
In addition, the police arrested a local duo separately on the same day for taking drugs.
According to Lou, 22,000 patacas in cash and a total of 9.59 grammes of methamphetamine (aka ice) were seized in the operation, with an estimated street value of about 31,350 patacas.
Lou said that the two drug smugglers-cum-traffickers, aged 51 and 41, are surnamed Chan and Tong respectively, while the two drug users – a man and a woman – aged 48 and 46, are surnamed Ho and Cheang respectively.
The Judiciary Police were tipped off recently that Chan was smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to Macau. PJ officers put Chan under surveillance and arrested him near a residential building in the San Kio district at about 2 p.m. on Friday, although the officers found no drugs on him, Lou noted.
Lou said that during the search of a residential flat where Chan was staying in Macau, the officers discovered 12 packets containing 7.79 grammes of ice, drug packaging paraphernalia and an axe with a 16-centimetre blade, as well as Ho.
Under questioning, Chan admitted that he had been smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to Macau for about one and a half months, adding that in addition to selling drugs to Ho, he had repackaged them into small packets and sold them for 1,500 patacas per packet, according to Lou, who added that Chan revealed Tong as his accomplice.
Ho admitted that he had bought drugs from Chan and taken them in the flat.
Based on Chan’s confession, PJ officers arrested Tong at a casino in Zape at 8 p.m. on Friday. They found a total of three packets of ice weighing 1.8 grammes in a “modified power bank” and in the protective case of Tong’s mobile phone, Lou said, adding that the officers then went to a residential flat rented by Tong in Taipa, where they caught Cheang red-handed taking drugs.
Tong admitted to buying drugs from Chan and also taking them in his flat with Cheang, according to Lou.
The quartet, who tested positive for drugs, were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Saturday, facing charges of drug trafficking, drug abuse, and possession of drug-taking paraphernalia and prohibited weapons, Lou noted.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officer escort the four hooded local drug suspects from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a PJ vehicle on Saturday. – Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
