A local man and three Vietnamese men were caught in a drug bust on Wednesday. About eight grammes of methamphetamine aka Ice with an estimated street value of 24,000 patacas were seized. PJ officers are still investigating the source of the drug, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chan Wun Man said during a special press conference yesterday.
The 29-year-old jobless local suspect is surnamed Chio. The three Vietnamese suspects comprise a 24-year-old cleaner surnamed Leo, a 26-year-old surnamed Nguyen who told the police that he’s jobless and a 28-year-old domestic helper also surnamed Nguyen.
According to Chan, the Judiciary Police were recently tipped off that a Vietnamese man was selling drugs to clients in night entertainment venues in Areia Preta district. PJ officers tracked down Leo and started to put him under surveillance at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Rua Dois do Bairro Iao Hon.
Later, Leo met Chio in a suspected drug deal. PJ officers arrested the two men separately after they left the scene and seized 0.57 grammes of Ice from Chio, who confessed that he had paid 1,500 patacas to Leo for the drug, while Leo admitted to selling the drugs to Chio, according to Chan.
According to Chan, PJ officers searched the homes of Leo and Chio later that day and seized two small packets of Ice weighing 1.02 grammes in Leo’s flat in Avenida do Coronel Mesquita, as well as drug-taking paraphernalia.
Chan said PJ officers also searched a flat in Rua do Lu Cao where they nabbed the two men surnamed Nguyen. The officers seized 13 packets of Ice weighing 6.41 grammes and drug-taking paraphernalia. The flat was rented by the 26-year-old Nguyen who told the police that the drugs belonged to him.
Under questioning, the four suspects confessed to taking drugs. Chio confessed that he had contacted the 26-year-old Nguyen to buy drugs, after which he collected the drugs from Leo who met him in Areia Preta district. Leo confessed that he assisted his two compatriots in drug trafficking 10 days ago, for which he got drugs for free and was allowed to take the drugs and rest in the flat in Rua do Lu Cao, according to Chan.
Chan said the 26-year-old Nguyen confessed that he charged the 28-year-old Nguyen 500 patacas to take drugs in his flat, but refused to explain the source of the drugs. The four suspects tested positive for drugs.
The suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing illegal use of narcotic and psychotropic substances charges while Leo and the 26-year-old Nguyen also face a drug trafficking charge, according to Chan.
Evidence seized from the suspects such as packets of Ice, drug-taking paraphernalia, pataca, HK and yuan notes and smartphones are displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the pressroom of the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
