In two separate cases two Hong Kong male residents and two local men have been arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to Macau and drug trafficking, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during two special press conferences yesterday.
In the first case, the two Hong Kong male residents are an 18-year-old high-school student surnamed Lee and a 38-year-old man surnamed Cheng who told the police he’s a driver.
According to Lou, the Judiciary Police were tipped off recently that drugs were being smuggled from Hong Kong to Macau. PJ officers later identified Lee and Cheng as the suspects and put them under surveillance. They were arrested in a hotel room in Zape at 3 a.m. yesterday.
Lou said that during the search of the hotel room, the police discovered 1.14 grammes of ketamine, and 38.84 grammes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of a total of 130,000 patacas.
Under questioning, both admitted that they had been smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to Macau for about two weeks. Lou noted that Lee and Cheng were paid 2,000 patacas and 4,000 patacas respectively for each cache of drugs they smuggled to Macau.
In the second case, the two local suspects are a 38-year-old restaurant worker surnamed Ho and a 34-year-old casino dealer surnamed Chan. Chan and Ho are friends.
According to Lou, during the investigation of another drug case the Judiciary Police discovered that a man had sold drugs during a recent concert in Cotai. PJ officers later identified Ho as the suspect who the police assumed had repeatedly smuggled drugs from Hong Kong to sell in Macau. Ho and Chan entered Macau through the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal on Tuesday. They were arrested when they were walking to their car.
PJ officers discovered a condom containing 13.96 grammes of ketamine, with a street value of 14,000 patacas, inside Ho’s rectum, while no drugs were found on Chan. Both suspects admitted to having a drug habit and claimed that the smuggled drugs were for personal use. Both tested positive for drugs during their arrest.
The four suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of drug trafficking, drug abuse, and possession of drug-taking paraphernalia, Lou noted.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officer escort the hooded local drug suspect from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a PJ vehicle yesterday. – Photos: William Chan
Evidence seized from the two Hong Kong drug suspects, such as cocaine, ketamine, smart phones and an electronic scale is being displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters.
