Customs authority arrests seven mainlanders in dramatic maritime chase

The customs authority has apprehended seven mainland men believed to be running a smuggling operation off Taipa’s northeast coast.
A dramatic speedboat chase in which the smuggler’s boat briefly evaded capture by two customs vessels was captured on video and shared widely on social media.
The Macau Customs Service said it arrested seven individuals, all residents of the mainland, and transferred them to the judicial authorities for processing. They stand accused of a variety of crimes, including illegal entry, smuggling and resisting arrest.
The suspects were arrested during an anti-smuggling operation conducted early on Friday morning, according to a statement from the customs authority.
While patrolling the northeast coast of Taipa, the authority intercepted and searched a man who was acting suspiciously. The man was found to be carrying a handheld communications device and the Customs officer who searched him believed it was being used to carry out smuggling activities.
The bureau dispatched coastal patrol officers and speedboats to search for other suspects in nearby areas.
They discovered a speedboat off the coast of northern Taipa and approached the vessel to investigate. Upon detection, the suspects onboard attempted to flee in the speedboat and the customs authority gave chase.
According to the video footage, the smugglers’ boat was able to outmaneuver two Customs speedboats for several minutes before it was finally intercepted. Five male suspects were arrested on board.
In a follow-up statement released several hours after the first, the Macau Customs Service sought to dispel a rumor circulating online that officers had used firearms during the operation.
“The customs officers did not use any firearms for interception, and the customs speedboats used general interception techniques to stop the case during the pursuit,” said the statement published in Chinese.
Meanwhile, in accordance with the epidemic prevention guidelines, the customs officers performed temperature checks on the intercepted persons and took the relevant protective measures. They were sent to be tested for the virus and the results came back negative. DB