Four male foreigners were caught in two drug busts last week when the police seized a total of 2.11 grammes of Ice, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said in a regular press conference on Monday.
The four suspects are permanent residents. Three Filipinos – a jobless man in his thirties surnamed Fulgaon, a packer in his thirties surnamed Garcia and a jobless man in his fifties surnamed Bernardez. The fourth suspect is a jobless Thai national surnamed Amnuay who is in his fifties.
According to Lai, PSP officers on patrol last Thursday noticed Garcia and Bernadez acting suspiciously. The duo were standing in front of a building in Travessa da Porta near Rua dos Mercadores and the officers told them to show their ID cards. When both took out their ID cards, they suddenly pushed the policemen and ran away. PSP officers chased after them and intercepted Garcia while Bernardez escaped. The officers searched Garcia and found 0.15 grammes of Ice on him.
Lai said police officers searched the building in front of which Garcia and Bernardez were standing when they were approached by the officers. Four packs of Ice weighing 0.81 grammes were found in a letter box and drug-taking paraphernalia in another one in the building. The owners of the letter boxes later told the police that they did not know Garcia and Bernardez, and neither did they know that their letter boxes were used for drug dealing.
Lai said PSP officers went to inns and other buildings nearby to search for Bernardez. During their search they came across Amnuay and Fulgaon who acted suspiciously, and they intercepted them. Police seized two and three packs of Ice weighing 0.68 grammes and 0.47 grammes from Anmuay and Fulgaon respectively as well as drug-taking paraphernalia from both of them.
According to Lai, Amnuay and Fulgaon admitted that they had together bought two grammes of Ice from friends at a price of 3,000 patacas per gramme and sold it to other friends in the Rua do Mercadores area to make a living. They told the police that when they were intercepted last Thursday both were discussing how to sell the drugs. They told the police that they had taken most of the two grammes of drugs they purchased and only 0.68 grammes and 0.47 grammes were left to be resold.
According to Lai, PSP officers arrested Bernardez in the Ruins of St. Paul’s area on Saturday.
The four suspects admitted to taking drugs. They have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing illegal use of narcotic and psychotropic substances charges while Garcia, Amunuay and Fulgaon also face drug trafficking charges, according to Lai.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Monday shows evidence seized from the suspects such as packs of Ice, a smartphone and patacas notes.
