A 32-year-old man from the Chinese mainland was arrested for allegedly stealing 10 boxes of cigars valued at roughly 289,000 patacas from a shop in a Barrier Gate shopping centre alongside two accomplices, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The suspect, surnamed Li, is a mainland resident who claimed to be unemployed.
According to Cheong, the Judiciary Police received a report on Friday from a female co-owner of the cigar and cosmetics shop, who reported that 10 boxes of cigars had been stolen.
Cheong said that the investigation showed that two male suspects had entered the premises at about 11:00 p.m. on Thursday. One suspect used a passcode to gain entry to the shop, whilst the other remained outside as a lookout.
The pair subsequently moved the stolen cigars to a hotel room in Cotai before leaving Macau for the Chinese mainland via Hengqin Port (immigration checkpoint).
After identifying the room where the stolen goods were being stored, officers placed the hotel under surveillance, Cheong said.
At roughly 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, officers observed Li entering the room to retrieve the stash and moved in to arrest him.
PJ officers recovered nine boxes of cigars from the room. The remaining box was unaccounted for, and officers did not rule out the possibility that it had been smuggled to the mainland by one of the fugitives.
Cheong said that at least three people were believed to be involved in the crime, adding that investigators would continue searching for the remaining stolen goods and the two accomplices. How the suspects obtained the shop’s passcode remains under investigation, Cheong said.
The suspect has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation.
This undated photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows evidence seized from a hotel guestroom in Cotai, consisting of nine boxes of stolen cigars and a backpack used by the burglars.
