The Judiciary Police (PJ) busted on Thursday four women in their thirties from Vietnam and Indonesia selling drugs in the city centre, PJ spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said during a special press conference on Friday, adding that in the operation, PJ officers seized drugs including methamphetamine (aka ice), ecstasy and cocaine, with an estimated street value of 800,000 patacas, as well as suspected drug money of 17,000 patacas, drug-taking paraphernalia and some drug-packaging equipment.
According to Lei, the two Vietnamese suspects, surnamed Nguyen and Bui, are aged 33 and 36 respectively, while the two Indonesian suspects, surnamed Niya and Nanngisia, are both aged 31. Nguyen and Niya told the police separately that they are non-resident workers (NRW) employed as a masseuse and domestic helper respectively, while the other two reported being unemployed.
Lei said that upon receiving a tip-off a few days ago that some Vietnamese women were selling drugs in the city centre, the Judiciary Police put the quartet under surveillance, adding that PJ officers arrested Nguyen on Thursday afternoon when she was walking out of a residential building in the city centre and later arrested Bui at a flat rented by Nguyen, where the officers seized over 16 grams of ice.
Under questioning, Nguyen, who told the police that she has a drug habit, admitted to buying drugs from Niya for 12,000 patacas, and reselling them to others to earn extra money.
Both Nguyen and Bui tested positive for drugs, Lei noted.
Based on Nguyen’s confession, PJ officers arrested Niya and Nanngisia separately in the street and at a residential flat in the central district on the same day. On Niya and in Nanngisia’s flat the officers found nearly 100 grams of ice, 25 ecstasy pills and 39.45 grams of cocaine, according to Lei, who pointed out that it was believed that the 39.45 grams of cocaine could be processed to make three to four times as much crack cocaine.
Bui, Niya and Nanngisia refused to cooperate with the police, Lei said, adding that the quartet had been operating for about two months.
The quartet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, facing charges for a range of drug-related offences, according to Lei.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the four hooded drug suspects to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape on Friday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
