A male illegal immigrant from the mainland was arrested on Sunday for robbing a local woman and then attacking a male Nepalese – a passer-by – who chased after the robber earlier that day, the Public Security Police (PSP) and Judiciary Police (PJ) jointly announced during a special press conference yesterday.

PSP officers caught the suspect two hours after the robbery thanks to the police forces’ closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed in the area where the robbery occurred and in the areas the suspect ran after robbing the victim, according to the police. PSP officers transferred the suspect to their PJ colleagues for further questioning after catching him.

PJ spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei identified the suspect as a 35-year-old surnamed Wu. The Nepalese is a blue-card holder in his thirties working as a security guard in Macau.

According to PSP spokeswoman Chong Sin I, the police received a report shortly after 7 p.m. on Sunday about a robbery case in the city centre. PSP rushed to the scene where the victim, her female friend and the Nepalese were.

The female victim in her thirties told PSP officers that she had withdrawn 1,600 patacas from an ATM at a branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Macau) ICBC Macau) in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (commonly known as San Ma Lou), Chong said.

When the victim put the 1,600-pataca notes into her purse, a man – Wu – attempted to grab her purse, Chong said. The victim tried to fight off the robber, who finally managed to rob her of 1,100 patacas and pushed her over. The victim and her friend then chased after the robber, Chong said.

According to Chong, the Nepalese heard two women shouting for help and saw them chasing after a man – Wu. He offered to help and caught the robber at the junction of the busy thoroughfare and Rua dos Mercadores, Chong said.

During a scuffle between the Nepalese and the robber, Wu took out a knife and attacked the off-duty security guard, who suffered cuts to his left arm and waist, Chong said, adding that after attacking the Nepalese the robber ran towards Rua da Felicidade.

During the scuffle, Wu also hurt himself, sustaining leg injuries, Chong said.

Scrutinising CCTV footage, PSP officers were able to see what the robber was wearing. The officers also managed to see the route which the bleeding suspect took when he ran away after robbing the victim, by following his blood trail, thanks to footage by CCTV cameras installed in the areas along his escape route, according to Chong.

According to Chong, PSP officers finally caught up with the robber outside Lake View Tower near Praça de Ferreira do Amaral shortly after 9 p.m., about two hours after the robbery. Wu admitted that he had robbed the woman. PSP officers transferred Wu to PJ officers for further questioning, Chong said.

Praça de Ferreira do Amaral outside Hotel Lisboa comprises an open-air bus terminal and a roundabout that also serves as a recreational area, as well as a waterfront promenade near Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (commonly known as Old Bridge),
Under questioning at PJ headquarters, Wu admitted that he had illegally entered Macau on Saturday night from Wanzai in Zhuhai by swimming across the Inner Harbour, Lei said.

Wanzai is opposite the west coast of the Macau peninsula.

Wu told PJ officers that after having a rest at a park near the Barrier Gate checkpoint that night, he went to a casino in Zape and gambled until midday the next day. As Wu gambled all his money away – just a few hundred patacas –he had brought with him to Macau, he planned to rob someone and looked for targets, Lei said.

Later that day, Wu saw two women – the victim and her friend – withdrawing cash from the ICBC Macau ATM. That’s when he decided to rob the victim, Lei said.

Wu told PJ officers that after robbing the victim he ran away and rested in the area where he was finally caught by PSP officers, Lei said.

Lei said that Wu would be transferred to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for possible arraignment on a robbery charge, a charge of causing bodily harm, and a charge of possession of an illegal weapon.

Police officers have told The Macau Post Daily that the city’s growing number of CCTV cameras has proved extremely helpful in solving crimes and catching suspects.

This handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows a plainclothes PSP officer catching the robbery suspect outside Lake View Tower near Praça de Ferreira do Amaral on Sunday night.

Bloodstained pataca notes and the knife that the suspected robber allegedly used in his attack on a Nepalese off-duty security guard are displayed in a pressroom at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters in Zape yesterday. Photo: Iong Tat Choi

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