Customs arrest four in illegal immigration case

The Macao Customs have uncovered a case of illegal immigration, arrested four people and confiscated a boat, the law-enforcement authority announced in a statement.

On the night of Feb. 29, through its smart monitoring system and infrared videography equipment, the Customs caught sight of a suspicious engine-operated boat over the sea off the Exterior Harbour. The Customs described the boat as having irregular paths, which led the authority to suspect illegal activities.

Deploying its officers, clippers and drones, the Customs intercepted a male illegal immigrant at the dock of the Macau Fishermen’s Wharf. On the sea off the coast, the Customs discovered three more people, including the male captain of the boat, an assistant and an illegal immigrant.

The four men are mainland residents and aged between 32 and 44 years. The two men who assisted in human smuggling activities were alleged to have committed the crime of facilitating illegal entry and exit and illegal stay.

In addition, the illegal immigrant intercepted along the coast had been banned from entering Macau and was suspected of committing the crime of entry without immigration control.

After court trial, the two men who assisted in human smuggling activities were detained for committing the crime of assisting illegal entry and exit and illegal stay. The other two men who illegally entered and exited the city were transferred to the Immigration Control Department of the Public Security Police Force (PSP) for further actions.

Two people arrested for robbery

In another case, the Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two people for suspected robbery. The victim is a female student from outside of Macau. The case has been reported to the police recently. The girl claimed that she was robbed on the street by two men and lost HKD1,000 in cash.

On Feb. 28 night, the girl passed by a casino on Rua de Gonzaga Gomes on her own. Upon seeing the two suspects, she was forced into a pawn shop nearby and retrieved HKD1,000 using certain of her belongings.

Afterwards, the girl reported the case to the police.

The police reported that the case was solved in only four hours, with the arrest of the two men just after midnight on Feb. 29, in an illegal hostel. During their further investigations, the police also discovered that the two men were allegedly involved in swindling cases as well.

15  victims of swindlers

A young male student from outside of Macau also reportedly encountered the two men on Avenida de Wai Long in Cotai. The two men were said to have borrowed money from the boy.

The police believed that the duo intentionally departed for Macau with criminal intentions and that they were involved in swindling at least 15 victims using the same strategy. Six victims have been reached, who reported a total loss of MOP3,700.

Charges of robbery and swindling have been laid against the two people, the police added.

The police took the chance to emphasize that they have zero tolerance against similar cases that “may cause disturbances to both residents and visitors.”

The PSP, meanwhile, have uncovered two cases of evasion of responsibilities and arrested two violators.

In one of the cases, a motorcyclist was knocked down by a tour coach that was switching lanes. The coach driver did not stop and fled the scene. Confirming the motorcyclist’s complaint, the police arrested the coach driver, who was in his fifties, and pressed charges against him.

In the other case, a staff member at a local hotel reported a damaged carpark entrance gate, suspiciously damaged by a car. Investigations pointed towards an exiting vehicle whose driver did not report the crash.

The driver, in his forties, was later arrested and a charge was laid against him.