The Judiciary Police (PJ) separately arrested two Filipinos on Wednesday for selling and taking drugs, seizing a total of 3.2 grammes of ice, the street name of methamphetamine, from the duo with an estimated street value of 9,600 patacas in total, PJ spokesman Chao Teng Hin said during a special press conference yesterday.
The two men from the Philippines are friends. Both are employed as non-resident workers (NRWs) in Macau. One of them had been selling drugs for at least two months.
Chao identified the two suspects as a 39-year-old surnamed Salvador, who told the police that he works as a “labourer”, while 36-year-old surnamed Padillo told the police that he works as a security guard.
According to Chao, the Judiciary Police recently received a tip-off that at least one Filipino was selling drugs in Macau. In the early hours of Wednesday, Chao said, PJ officers intercepted Salvador in a street near the Praia do Manduco neighbourhood and seized a bag containing 0.25 grammes of ice from him.
The Praia do Manduco neighbourhood is known as Ha Van in Cantonese.
According to Chao the police later searched his nearby home where they seized another bag of ice, weighing 0.75 grammes, and drug packaging tools.
On Wednesday afternoon, Chao said, PJ officers intercepted Padillo in a street also near the Praia do Manduco neighbourhood and seized a bag containing 2.2 grammes of ice from him. The police later searched his nearby home where they seized an electronic scale and drug packaging tools, as well as 9,000 patacas in cash that the police believed he had earned from selling drugs.
Chao said that both Filipinos tested positive for drugs.
According to Chao, the police confirmed that they are friends, and both are drug users. All of the ice seized from Salvador and his home was bought from Padillo.
The police also confirmed that Salvador had bought ice from Padillo, with some of the drug for personal use, while he resold some of it to other compatriots in Macau.
According to Chao, the police believe that Padillo had been selling drugs in Macau for at least two months.
Chao noted that ice weighing a total of 3.2 grammes was seized from both, with an estimated street value of 9,600 patacas in total.
Chao underlined that the police are still tracing the sources of the ice and investigating whether others were involved in the duo’s respective drug-selling activities.
The two Filipinos have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation, both facing drug-trafficking and drug-taking charges.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the two hooded drug suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photos: Tony Wong
Evidence seized in the drug case are displayed at a pressroom of the PJ headquarters yesterday.
