The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man from the Chinese mainland and a local woman for smuggling drugs on Wednesday, PJ spokesman Cheong Kim Fong said during a special press conference on Thursday.
Cheong identified the mainlander as a 33-year-old non-resident-worker (NRW) employed as a security guard surnamed Chen and the local woman as a 30-year-old cashier surnamed Chan.
According to Cheong, the Beijing-based General Administration of Customs (GACC) discovered that a parcel originating from overseas, destined for Macau via the mainland and labelled as containing clothing, was in fact suspected to contain prescription medication.
They notified Macau’s Customs Service accordingly, Cheong said, adding that the Judiciary Police took over the investigation, identified the recipient, and, in coordination with the local Customs Service and the Macau Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT), set up a surveillance operation.
On Wednesday afternoon, according to Cheong, the parcel in question arrived at the General Post Office (GPO) in Largo do Senado via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), and Chan was intercepted by PJ officers when she went to collect the parcel. Inside the package, they found 50 blister packs of medication, totalling 661 pills, covered by short-sleeved top and a sun hoodie, which had been used as concealment, Cheong said, adding the that same evening, PJ officers intercepted Chen in the city’s northern district.
According to Cheong, the investigation revealed that the duo had been engaged in parallel trading activities in Macau for about four years. The male suspect, having been recruited by a third party, instructed the female suspect to collect the parcel, which was intended to be smuggled back to the mainland, Cheong said, adding that no payment had yet been agreed upon. The duo admitted to being aware that the parcel contained prohibited items, according to Cheong.
Upon testing by the Judiciary Police, the batches of drugs confirmed that the medication contained phentermine and methylphenidate, Cheong, said.
Phentermine* is banned for sale in Macau, while methylphenidate** is a prescription drug. According to Cheong, a total of 480 phentermine capsules, 120 phentermine pills, and 60 methylphenidate pills were seized in the operation.
The duo were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Thursday, each facing charges of drug trafficking.
* Phentermine is used as an appetite suppressant to aid weight loss. – Gemini
** Methylphenidate is a prescription central nervous system (CNS) stimulant primarily used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The latter is a chronic, neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. – Gemini
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the two hooded drug suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape on Thursday. – Photo: MPDG
