A 26-year-old Bolivian woman was arrested at Macau International Airport on Sunday after Judiciary Police (PJ) officers found about 3,954.5 grams of liquid cocaine concealed in the linings of 11 items of winter clothing in her checked in luggage, PJ spokesman Cheong Kim Fong said during a special press conference yesterday.
The seized cocaine was estimated to have a street value of about 11.8 million patacas, Cheong said.
According to Cheong, officers identified a suspected female passenger through intelligence and risk assessment as she arrived in Macau on a flight from Southeast Asia on Sunday night.
After the woman collected her luggage at about 10:00 p.m., PJ officers intercepted her and found six tops and five pairs of trousers with unusually heavy areas in their linings.
Further examination revealed that the 11 items of clothing had been modified to conceal a liquid substance. The drugs had been packed in transparent plastic bags, fixed to the inner layers of the clothing with glue, and the lining then sewn back into place to restore the apparel to their original appearance.
Rapid testing and subsequent laboratory examination confirmed that the substance was cocaine, Cheong said.
Cheong pointed out that this was the first case uncovered in Macau in which liquid cocaine had been concealed in the linings of clothing.
The investigation revealed that the woman had been recruited by a drug trafficking group and travelled to a South American country on September 11 to collect the drugs. She then flew through Southeast Asia before arriving in Macau.
Cheong said that, according to the ongoing investigation, the woman intended to use Macau as a transit point and wait for instructions from the drug trafficking group before transporting the drugs to a neighbouring region. She was promised US$5,000 for completing the delivery but had not yet received the payment when she was arrested.
Cheong said the Judiciary Police believe that the drugs were not destined for Macau, adding that PJ officers were continuing to investigate the case and identify other people involved.
The woman was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday for further questioning and possible arraignment on a drug trafficking charge. She faces five to 15 years behind bars, Cheong said.
The 11 items of clothing containing cocaine seized by the police are displayed in a pressroom of the PJ headquarters yesterday. – Photos: Sherwin Hng
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded drug trafficking suspect from Bolivia to a PJ car outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday.
