A mainlander surnamed Tan who illegally entered Macau earlier this month turned out to be a suspect involved in a prostitution case three years ago, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam said during a regular press conference on Monday.
According to Ho, Macau Customs Service officers picked up Tan and another man after spotting them on the shore in Taipa after they landed by boat on February 13. Ho described the second man as the “boatman” in the case.
Colloquially, skippers who smuggle illegal immigrants to Macau are known as “snakeheads”.
While investigating the case, PJ officers discovered that Tan was wanted by the police for his alleged involvement in a local prostitution case and was banned from entering the city. Tan refused to cooperate with the police when questioned about his alleged involvement in running a brothel with his wife, surnamed Shi, and also denied the accusation, according to Ho.
According to Ho, 32-year-old Tan, who claimed to be unemployed, was the person who rented a flat in a residential building in Rua de Nam Keng in Taipa that was used as a brothel in March 2017.
Ho said that police at the time arrested a mainlander surnamed Zhou who was paid 6,000 patacas a month for managing the flat and providing food for the prostitutes. Tan’s wife, who collected a daily rent of 200 patacas from each prostitutes, was arrested. Ho did not elaborate on the 2017 case.
Tan has been transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) and faces charges of illegal entry into the city and pimping.
