The Unitary Police Service (SPU), in conjunction with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Office of the Macau Garrison as well as several other public entities, their “Coiling Dragon” joint anti-terrorism drill at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai on Friday, “achieved the desired effect”, according to an SPU statement later that day.
According to the statement, the drill lasted about two hours and 40 minutes. In the simulated scenario, six terrorists travelling in two vehicles crashed at high speed into the temporary security checkpoint of a large-scale concert, attacking several people with sharp knives. Subsequently, a gun battle broke out between the terrorists and the arriving police officers, in which one of the terrorists was shot and injured before fleeing with another accomplice in a car. The other four terrorists, after throwing a chlorine bomb, abducted two security guards in order to be able to enter the dome and held the 8,000 audience members hostage during negotiations with the police. In the meantime, several people at the temporary security checkpoint became ill due to the inhalation of toxic gas.
The statement noted that 1,038 officers and officials from the Macau Customs Service (SA), Public Security Police (PSP), Judiciary Police (PJ), Fire Services Bureau (CB) and Health Bureau (SSM), as well as 43 PLA officers, participated in Friday’s drills, during which the Judiciary Police simulated a crisis negotiation with the terrorists in order to ensure the release of two hostages with gunshot wounds and, ultimately, to arrest the terrorists.
The Public Security Police evacuated people in the venue in an orderly manner after a terrorist threw an explosive device that released toxic gas, and conducted contamination tests and decontamination triage on them, while the Macau Garrison and Fire Services Bureau carried out sampling, investigations, residue disposal, and cleaning inside and outside the venue.
The drill, the statement pointed out, aimed to strengthen the information notification and command and coordination capabilities between the police and the participating entities in responding to unforeseen incidents, and through cooperation with the Macau Garrison, to enhance the coordination capability and tactical level of the public security forces.
The “Coiling Dragon” joint anti-terrorism drill takes place at the Macau East Asian Games Dome in Cotai on Friday, simulating half a dozen terrorists forcing their way into a large-scale concert and threatening the audience inside. – Photo: MPDG
