Two male non-resident workers (NRWs) from the Philippines have been apprehended for stealing meat from the frozen meat company where they worked in Patane, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou said at a regular press conference yesterday.
The suspects surnamed Parrocha and Nocom are in their forties.
According to Lei, the company reported to the police last week that they had discovered that at least 120,000 patacas worth of frozen meat had been stolen in the past two months.
The police investigation discovered that Parrocha and Nocom stole the meat during lunchtime when there were no witnesses present at the company, after which they sold the stolen meat to a nearby restaurant.
On Saturday, the duo were apprehended at the company. Under questioning, they confessed to stealing frozen meat on over 40 occasions since last December. Each time, they sold the stolen meat to the restaurant at a price ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 patacas, which was half the regular price, resulting in a total gain of 200,000 patacas.
On the same day, the 53-year-old restaurant owner surnamed Iu was also arrested. He admitted to purchasing the meat but insisted that he was unaware it was stolen.
Iu, Parrocha and Nocom have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). Parrocha and Nocom face aggravated theft charges, while Iu faces charges of possession of stolen goods.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the three suspects from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a PJ vehicle yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
