Smooth Conduct of “Operation Thunderbolt 2021” (2021-07-08)

To strengthen the cooperation mechanism among security departments and other agencies of the Government and capabilities of handling emergency incidents in prison, on 8 July afternoon, personally directed by the joint operation commander, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, the Unitary Police Service led a simulation exercise of a large-scale emergency incident, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2021”, inside Coloane Prison and its periphery, featuring such scenarios as prisoner riot, bomb threat, hostage siege, and suspect pursuit at sea. Participating government agencies included the Macao Customs Service, the Public Security Police Force, the Judiciary Police, the Fire Services Bureau, the Correctional Services Bureau, the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, and the Health Bureau. The exercise was a success and expected results were achieved.

Beginning at 15:00, the simulation exercise started with the scenario where a suspicious person was found by prison guards to have left a suspicious object at the periphery of Coloane Prison during the inmates’ Chinese New Year party at the exercise yard of the Prison’s Male Detention Zone and fled the scene immediately thereafter. The Prison instantaneously sealed the area in question, alerted the Public Security Police Force and simultaneously activated the “Correctional Services Bureau emergency response mechanism” to evacuate the inmates attending the party. However, three inmates, unhappy about party’s termination, created a disturbance and went on to incite a riot of over 300 inmates present. Meanwhile, at the detention area, five inmates took advantage of the situation and held two other inmates hostage in an attempt to escape from prison, engaging in a confrontation with prison guards in the process. The Prison dispatched its Tactical Response Unit and Riot Control Unit at once in response to the incident. Due to the large number of troublemaking inmates and the escalating violence situation at the scene, the Secretary for Security, upon being notified by the Director of the Correctional Services Bureau, immediately activated the inter-departmental emergency response mechanism and instructed the Unitary Police Service’s Commissioner General to assemble the forces of the Macao Customs Service, the Public Security Police Force, the Judiciary Police, and the Fire Services Bureau and coordinate with the Health Bureau for reinforcements at the Prison, as well as established a joint command centre and an on-site operation command centre.

The Public Security Police Force’s Riot Control Unit and Police Dog Team rushed to Coloane Prison to join forces with the latter’s Riot Control Unit. The inmates ignored the warning issued to them, so the police dispersed and apprehended the inmates participating in the riot. During this operation, five inmates were injured (simulated) and brought to the mobile emergency treatment centre where medical personnel from the Correctional Services Bureau, the Fire Services Bureau and the Health Bureau treated and bandaged the wounds. One of the injured inmates needed to be transferred to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Public Security Police Force’s Bomb Squad, the Judiciary Police’s Crime Scene Investigation Team and the Fire Services Bureau’s paramedics arrived at the location where the suspected explosive device was found. Upon examination by the Bomb Squad personnel, a bomb disposal robot detonated the explosive device on the spot. Then, the Judiciary Police’s crime scene investigation personnel gathered evidence and investigated at the scene, which was followed by a thorough search of the vicinity by public security police officers and prison guards. The Customs Service, based on the intelligence provided by the on-site operation command centre, ran reconnaissance with a drone, ultimately apprehending, near the Coloane Quarry, a suspect who allegedly placed the “explosives”. Also, the Customs Service launched a sea chase operation and arrested a male operating the getaway speedboat.

In the meantime, the Crisis Negotiation Team of the Judiciary Police successfully convinced the hostage-taking inmates to release one of the hostages. However, the hostage-takers had an emotional outburst some time later, threatening to kill another hostage. In response, the joint operation commander ordered a rescue operation where the Public Security Police Force’s SpecialOperations Team launched a quick offensive into the area, subduing the five hostage-taking inmates and successfully rescuing another hostage. The emergency incident in prison was then handled, in a speedy and effective manner.

The exercise marked the first large-scale emergency incident simulation exercise where the Secretary for Security assumed the role of joint operation commander following the amendments to the Law No. 9/2002, Framework Law on Internal Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Lasting approximately 1 hours 30 minutes, the exercise had some 330 participants from multiple security departments and disciplines, including members of the Macao Customs Service; the Special Operations Team, the Riot Control Unit, the Bomb Squad and the Police Dog Team of the Public Security Police Force’s Special Police Unit; the Judiciary Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team and Crime Scene Investigation Team; the Fire Services Bureau’s Special Rescue Unit; the Tactical Response Unit, the Riot Control Unit, social workers and medical personnel of Coloane Prison of the Correctional Services Bureau; and the Health Bureau’s mobile emergency treatment centre. The Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao also provided logistical support for the simulation exercise. Adhering to anti-pandemic measures during its entirety, the exercise ran smoothly and achieved the targets, effectively strengthening the inter-departmental cooperation mechanism in terms of information notification, communication and coordination, and joint operation, and enhancing emergency response capabilities.

Following the simulation exercise, Secretary Wong Sio Chak expressed that although the exercise was conducted smoothly, in real-life situations, there would definitely be many uncertainties more complicated than those depicted in the exercise; more government agencies might need to be involved also. Therefore, Secretary Wong hoped that all the participating departments could, through this exercise or other future ones, have a clearer understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities in the inter-departmental efforts, and achieve timely notification, swift action and seamless coordination. Furthermore, another important purpose of the exercise was to provide an example for the future amendment of the prison emergency response action plan. This way, the Correctional Services Bureau could optimize its emergency response capabilities as well as more easily expedite the modification of the said plan; the plan for protecting Macao’s security could be optimized from various aspects as well.

In a complicated and mutable social environment, all the disciplines of the security sector must always remain vigilant, even in peaceful times. In accordance with the public security situation, simulation exercises targeting different emergency incidents will be continually organized, strengthening the cooperation and efficiency of inter-departmental joint operations, constantly optimizing the emergency response mechanism, guaranteeing the swift, orderly and effective handling of emergency incidents and protecting the life and property of members of the public.

Secretary for Security and joint operation commander Wong Sio Chak directs the simulation exercise of a large-scale emergency incident in prison, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2021”

Simulation: unhappy about the termination of the party, inmates create a disturbance

Simulation: at the detention area, some inmates take hostages in an attempt to escape from prison, engaging in a confrontation with prison guards in the process

Simulation: the Public Security Police Force’s Riot Control Unit and Police Dog Team and Coloane Prison’s Riot Control Unit engage in a joint operation to disperse and apprehend the inmates participating in the riot

Simulation: the joint riot control unit subdues the troublemakers

Simulation: the Public Security Police Force’s Bomb Squad arrives at the scene and detonates the suspected explosive device

Simulation: members of the Judiciary Police’s Crime Scene Investigation Team carry out further evidence gathering and investigative work at the Prison’s periphery where the explosives have been found

Through drone reconnaissance, the Customs Service discovers and apprehends the suspect who has allegedly placed the explosives

Simulation: while in pursuit at sea, the Customs Service arrests a male operating the getaway speedboat

Members of the Judiciary Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team negotiate with the hostage-taking inmates

Simulation: the Public Security Police Force’s Special Operations Team launches an offensive into the store room of the detention area, subduing the hostage-taking inmates and successfully rescuing the hostages

Simulation: the injured hostage, an inmate, is transferred to the hospital by the Fire Services Bureau’s paramedics under the escort of prison guards