Two “snakeheads” smuggled 10 mainlanders into Macau via Coloane’s Long Chao Kok waterfront on a speedboat in the wee hours of Friday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said on Saturday, adding that the duo, in order to avoid being pursued and arrested by PJ and Macau Customs Service (SA) officers, sped away “dangerously”, ultimately leading the speedboat to overturn and all 12 people on board falling into the coastal waters. A woman who almost drowned during the incident remained in critical condition, at the time of the press conference, after undergoing emergency treatment.
People smugglers are known as “snakeheads” in the local Cantonese jargon.
According to Lei, who hosted Saturday’s joint press conference with the Macau Customs Service at the PJ headquarters in Zape, upon receiving intelligence that a cross-border criminal gang intended to assist illegal immigrants in entering Macau by sea and would disembark off Coloane on Thursday evening, the Judiciary Police launched an investigation and, in conjunction with the Macau Customs Service and Zhuhai Public Security Bureau’s Exit-Entry Administration Detachment, put the area under surveillance.
PJ and SA officers discovered at 12:15 a.m. on Friday a suspicious speedboat racing towards the shore in the direction of Coloane’s Long Chao Kok, Lei said, adding that before the illegal immigrants could come ashore, the skipper spotted the police and customs officers, immediately turned the speedboat around and sped away, “behaving crazily and dangerously”, eventually capsizing the vessel, with all 12 people, comprising two snakeheads and 10 illegal immigrants, on board falling into the sea.
SA officers searching the coastal waters took about 10 minutes to successfully rescue 12 people. Among them, the only female illegal immigrant almost drowned and had to be taken to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre for emergency treatment, Lei noted.
According to Lei, the two “snakeheads” from the mainland are surnamed Zhong, aged 38, who told the police that he is a fisherman, and Ou, aged 29, who told the police that he is a sailor. The duo were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Saturday. The 10 mainlanders who intended to enter Macau illegally comprised nine men and the woman who almost drowned, aged between 34 and 63. One of the males had been involved in loansharking offences and was banned from entering Macau for six years, while the remaining nine had been involved in “illegal currency exchange activities “ and were banned from entering Macau for two to three years.
Under questioning, Lei noted, the two “snakeheads” confessed to committing the crime, saying that they had been instructed by the criminal gang to smuggle illegal immigrants by speedboat into Macau, adding that each of them had been promised a “commission” of 5,000 yuan.
According to Lei, the gang charged their clients 30,000 to 40,000 yuan each, with Zhong being tasked with driving the speedboat, while Ou was responsible for navigating and inspecting the sea environment. Both Zhong and Ou admitted that they did not have a licence to operate a vessel.
The nine male illegal immigrants confessed that they attempted to enter Macau illegally for the purpose of engaging in “currency exchange activities”, Lei added.
This pixilated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) on Saturday shows PJ officers escorting the 11 suspected illegal immigrants and “snakeheads” on Friday.
