The Judiciary Police (PJ) joined hands with the Macau Customs Service (SA) and arrested a local man on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a people-smuggling gang which used a speedboat to bring four mainlanders illegally to Macau via Coloane’s Long Chao Kok coastline, PJ spokesman Chong Kam Leong said at a special press conference yesterday.
According to Chong, the 40-year-old suspect, surnamed Seh, is suspected of being a member of the people-smuggling gang, casing the joint*, standing guard and picking up illegal immigrants. The four illegal immigrants – three males and a female, aged between 29 and 40, are surnamed Zhang, Hu, Yan and Chen respectively. They were banned last year for between three and six years from entering Macau for their respective involvement in illegal currency exchange deals or loansharking.
After being tipped off on Tuesday that some illegal immigrants would land on Coloane’s Long Chao Kok coastline, customs and PJ officers jointly set up surveillance there on Wednesday. The officers discovered a speedboat cruising at high speed off Ha Sac Beach in the early morning that day, Chong said, adding that PJ officers intercepted Seh who was driving his car nearby, while also catching the illegal immigrant quartet hidden in the bushes at the scene.
Chong said that customs officers pursued the speedboat, but eventually lost it “due to the complexity of the situation”.
Under questioning, according to Chong, the illegal immigrants told the police that they had paid the gang between 35,000 yuan (39,200 patacas) and 40,000 yuan to smuggle them into Macau for casino gambling and engaging in illegal currency exchange deals. Chong underlined that Seh refused to help the authorities with their investigations.
Seh was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday for further investigation, facing charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigration and belonging to a criminal organisation.
*Criminology jargon for to thoroughly observe or examine a place, in order to familiarise oneself with its workings in preparation for criminal activity. – Source: Wiktionary
This undated pixilated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) during yesterday’s special press conference at the PJ headquarters in Zape shows the local suspect surnamed Seh with PJ officers at Coloane’s Long Chao Kok waterfront.
