The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested three suspects from the Chinese mainland for participating in a drug party in a hotel guestroom on Sunday, PJ spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Cheong identified the trio as a 54-year-old unemployed man surnamed Shi, a 39-year-old salesman surnamed Chen, and a 50-year-old unemployed man, also surnamed Chen.
According to Cheong, on Sunday morning, a member of staff at a hotel in Cotai discovered drug-taking paraphernalia while cleaning a guestroom, and the hotel manager immediately notified the Judiciary Police.
Upon arrival, with the assistance of hotel security, PJ officers intercepted the trio, Cheong said, adding that in the guestroom, PJ officers seized HK$4,500 (4,630 patacas) and 1,100 yuan (1,300 patacas) in cash suspected to be proceeds from drug-related activities, two packets suspected to contain heroin, one packet suspected to contain crystal meth, as well as drug-taking paraphernalia including modified water bottles, aluminium foil, syringes, and lighters.
Upon testing the suspected drugs, Cheong said, PJ officers confirmed the substances as heroin and crystal meth, adding that the trio’s urine tests confirmed their drug use.
Cheong also said that the heroin weighed 1.42 grams and the crystal meth weighed 0.41 grams, adding that the total estimated street value of the seized drugs is around 3,200 patacas.
According to Cheong, the investigation revealed that the three suspects had a habit of drug use, and that Shi had smuggled the drugs from the Chinese mainland into Macau, where he then used them with the two Chens in the guestroom. Shi entered Macau on Sunday, whilst the two Chens had arrived on Saturday, Cheong said.
The trio were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, each facing charges of drug-taking and possession of drug-taking paraphernalia; additionally, Shi faces a further charge of drug trafficking.
This undated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows evidence seized from the hotel guestroom booked by the drug-taking trio.
