Four tourists have been arrested on charges of smuggling 308 cellphones by rope gliding, the Macao Customs (SA) announced yesterday.
Another suspect, who gave orders from mainland China, is still at large there.
The apprehended suspects are aged between 25 and 46. Each were reportedly guaranteed to receive 500 Chinese yuan. The total value of the cellphones is MOP1.07 million, according to the SA.
It is believed that the four were told to rope glide the cellphones from the Macau side to the mainland side.
The suspects refused to cooperate during the investigation, except to tell the SA about another man who gave orders from mainland China. As such, the SA’s counterpart in mainland China has been notified of the case.
March 27, the SA discovered some suspicious activities on the coast near Pousada Marina Infante on its surveillance system. Clippers and drones were deployed to the scene as an initial response.
At the scene, officers found four men and three cartons of old cellphones, as well as pulleys, gloves and ropes. No other suspects or methods of transport were found.
The SA stressed that this has been the only smuggling case on the coast of Taipa in recent years. AL
