Two 21-year-old local male university students, surnamed Sin and Aquino, were arrested on 11 January 2022 near Central Park in Taipa in a cannabis case and were enrolled at two different local universities.[1] The men became suspects after a taxi driver handed police a bag left on the back seat the previous day, and officers found a cannabis joint inside it.[1] Judiciary Police arrested the pair at about 9 pm near Central Park after they had taken the taxi from the Barrier Gate checkpoint to Taipa, and seized 0.9 grammes of cannabis, several yuan notes and drug-taking paraphernalia from Sin.[2]

A search of Sin’s nearby flat found another 15.15 grammes of cannabis and drug-taking paraphernalia, bringing the total seized to 16.05 grammes.[1] Police put the cannabis at a market value of about 16,000 patacas.[1] Both men tested positive for drugs and admitted taking cannabis, and Sin said he had given some to Aquino for his own use.[1] Sin told police he had bought the cannabis for 3,000 yuan at a night entertainment venue on the mainland and smuggled it into Macau; Macao Daily News reported that he denied trafficking.[3]

Both were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office on 12 January, facing charges of taking narcotics, while Sin also faced charges of drug trafficking and possession of drug-taking paraphernalia.[1] Macao Daily News reported that Sin was charged with trafficking, drug use and possession of drug-taking equipment, and Aquino with drug use.[3] Macau Times reported that police were still tracing where the cannabis came from when the two were sent to prosecutors.[4]

Cheng Pou reported that the cannabis seized, including the joint left in the taxi, was worth more than 16,000 patacas.[5]