The Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday arrested a 19-year-old Malaysian man hired by a drug-trafficking gang there to smuggle cannabis buds via the local airport, with the drugs seized having an estimated street value of nine million patacas.
PJ spokesman Ho Wai Lok briefed reporters at the local airport last night about the case.
The man was hired by the gang to smuggle the cannabis buds from Bangkok to the intended final destination of Hong Kong. He first flew from Bangkok to South Korea, from there he flew to Macau yesterday afternoon. He then intended to travel to Hong Kong, but was caught by PJ officers at the airport.
According to Ho, PJ officers suspected that someone on the flight from South Korea to Macau was smuggling drugs, after assessing intelligence that they had gathered. After the flight arrived in Macau at 2 p.m. yesterday, PJ officers intercepted the Malaysian when he collected his luggage, in which they found 16 bags of cannabis buds weighing 8.9 kilogrammes in total, with an estimated street value of nine million patacas.
According to Ho, the man had been promised 5,000 Malaysian ringgit (9,500 patacas) in total by the gang provided he succeeded in smuggling the cannabis buds to Hong Kong.
The Judiciary Police said they are investigating the origin of the cannabis buds and tracing others involved in the case.
The suspect will be transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further questioning, facing a drug trafficking charge, Ho said.
Five PJ officers show journalists the cannabis buds seized from the suspect and his suitcase during last night’s press briefing at the airport. – Photo courtesy of TDM
