Police arrest 550 in cross-border crime crackdown

In a month-long crackdown, local authorities arrested 551 people on suspicion of criminal activity and prosecuted 314 for smuggling, in what officials described as having achieved its intended results in combating cross-border crime and curbing security risks.

The Unitary Police Service (SPU) yesterday released the results of its “Thunder 2025” crackdown, during which police investigated 48,155 people and detained 1,393 for further questioning.

Fraud accounted for the largest share of cases, with 85 incidents leading to the arrest of 100 suspects. Illegal currency exchange ranked second, with 62 cases and 100 arrests, followed by 56 theft cases that resulted in 63 arrests, including 24 aggravated thefts.

Other cases involved criminal syndicates, possession of prohibited weapons, illegal lending, drug trafficking, prostitution-related activities, robbery, and money laundering.

Of those arrested, 405 individuals were subjected to compulsory measures or sentenced after being referred to judicial authorities.

Among them, 13 were detained and one was immediately imprisoned. Police also seized approximately 3,098 grams of cocaine, 271 grams of synthetic cannabinoid oil, and MOP9.45 million in cash, casino chips, and slot machine vouchers.

The joint enforcement operation, carried out between August 4 and September 6, was coordinated by police authorities from Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangdong.

The Public Security Police (PSP) and Judiciary Police (PJ), in collaboration with Macau Customs, mobilized 8,756 officers over the course of the campaign.

Targeted actions and patrols were conducted 625 times in key areas such as entertainment venues, nightclubs, and casinos, while a total of 1,533 patrols were completed overall. Customs also deployed patrol boats for 34 maritime enforcement missions.

In addition to drug seizures, authorities confiscated prohibited weapons including electric shock devices, knives, knuckle dusters, and axes.

Other items seized included mobile phones, computers, jewelry, vehicles, motorcycles, cash-counting machines, underwater propulsion devices, and promissory notes.

Expulsion procedures were carried out against 669 non-local residents suspected of involvement in criminal activities, illegal immigration, illegal residency, prostitution, unauthorized self-employment, or other conduct inconsistent with visitor status.

The PSP emphasized that “Thunder 2025” was instrumental in disrupting organized crime groups, clamping down on smuggling and illegal exchanges, and dismantling fraud networks that have posed growing risks to the region and neighboring jurisdictions.

The authorities pledged to “monitor public security trends and strengthen deployment strategies to ensure ongoing stability.”

They also vowed to “deepen cooperation with Hong Kong and Guangdong police forces, sharing intelligence and coordinating investigations to build a stronger security front across the Greater Bay Area.”Times Reporter