To strengthen the joint cooperation mechanism between security departments and other government agencies and enhance emergency response and coordination abilities, on 6 July, personally directed by the joint operation commander, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, the Unitary Police Service hosted a large-scale emergency incident simulation exercise codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2023” inside Coloane Prison and its perimeter, which involved scenarios of arson, riot, hostage-taking, attempted prison break and land and sea support for illegal immigration and the successful handling of the emergency through the joint operation of multiple departments. Participating government agencies included the Macao Customs, the Public Security Police Force, the Judiciary Police, the Fire Services Bureau, the Correctional Services Bureau, the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau of Macao, the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, and the Health Bureau. The exercise ran smoothly and its expected results were achieved. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the People’s Liberation Army Macao Garrison, Colonel Commandant Liu Huan, also attended the exercise at our invitation.
 

Beginning at 15:00, the simulation exercise started with the scenario where two inmates intentionally committed arson at the Female Detention Zone of Coloane Prison. The prison guards requested assistance from the Fire Services Bureau, executed the evacuation contingency plan, suspended all activities in Coloane Prison and raised the alertness level. The firefighters arrived at the scene and successfully put the fire under control. In a simulated scenario, five female inmates injured or feeling unwell were sent to the temporary medical station for treatment and the arson suspects were transferred to the Judiciary Police.
 

Another simulated scenario occurring at the same time as the one above was that 50 inmates having their outdoor exercise session at an exercise yard at the Male Detention Zone became unhappy about their session being suspended. Agitated, they began yelling and created a disturbance as they assaulted other inmates and physically confronted the prison guards. In response, the Prison dispatched its Tactical Response Unit and Riot Control Unit to handle the violent aggression. Considering that the two incidents in the Prison might escalate, the Correctional Services Bureau activated its “special inter-departmental emergency plan”, notifying the Unitary Police Service for it to establish in the Prison an “inter-departmental on-site command centre” formed by members of the Customs, the Public Security Police Force, the Judiciary Police and the Fire Services Bureau. Meanwhile, the Tactical Response Unit and the Riot Control Unit rescued from the exercise yard two inmates who had been assaulted due to their refusal to have a part in the disturbance and learned there was an attempt of prison break.
 

The third scenario took place at the visit room of the Male Detention Zone: three male visitors suddenly took another two visitors hostage using sharp objects, demanding the Prison to release three of the inmates being visited. The three inmates became aggressive too, trying to hold the prison guards on site hostage but failed and got locked inside the visit area by the prison guards instead. The Tactical Response Unit arrived and went on standby at the scene, whereas the social workers and counselors advised the hostage-takers and the inmates against their act.
 

After listening to the report by the Director of the Correctional Services Bureau, the Secretary for Security, considering the series of major incidents that involved premeditation and the gravity of the situation, decided to raise the emergency level and instructed the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service to activate the “joint operation command centre”, directing the Customs, the Public Security Police Force, the Judiciary Police, the Fire Services Bureau, the Correctional Services Bureau, the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau of Macao, the Academy of Public Security Forces of Macao, and the Health Bureau as they began their joint operation. As the disturbance in the prison exercise yard had turned into a riot, a joint riot control unit formed by the Riot Control Unit of the Public Security Police Force and the Prison’s Riot Control Unit was immediately ordered to launch an offensive into the exercise yard. The joint unit successfully quelled the riot as well as controlled and isolated multiple rioters. The Judiciary Police began its investigation into the incident. Eight injured inmates were treated at the temporary medical station.
 

In the hostage siege in the visit room of the Male Detention Zone, the Judiciary Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team succeeded in convincing the hostage-takers to release one of the hostages, but the hostage-takers immediately tried to forcefully take away three inmates and harm the other hostage. The Public Security Police Force’s Special Operations Team entered the scene through use of force, successfully rescuing the hostages, subduing and arresting the three individuals who had attempted to break the inmates out of the Prison. The three inmates being locked in the visit room were convinced into surrendering and taken away for investigation.
 

Meanwhile, a suspicious vehicle outside the Prison refused prison guards’ questioning and escaped. The “sky eye system” was employed to trace the vehicle; the Customs intercepted the vehicle at the shore of Coloane, subduing two individuals suspected of aiding the prison escape attempt. The fleet of the Customs intercepted a suspicious speedboat on the sea on which a male providing support to the illegal immigration operation was found. All three suspects were transferred to the Judiciary Police.
 

This marked the first time two command centres – the joint operation command centre at the Unitary Police Service and the inter-departmental on-site command centre at the Correctional Services Bureau – were established during a large-scale prison emergency simulation exercise following the entry into force of the amendments to the Framework Law on Internal Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Lasting approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, the exercise had 489 participants from multiple security departments and the Health Bureau’s Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre. The exercise achieved the targets, further optimizing the inter-departmental cooperation mechanism in terms of information notification, coordinated command, and inter-departmental operation, and enhancing emergency response capabilities.
 

Following the simulation exercise, Secretary Wong Sio Chak said that in the response to public emergencies, apart from scientifically formulating and continually optimizing contingency plans that are highly efficient, feasible and in line with the actual needs, conducting routine and periodical simulation exercises with specific targets is also the responsibility of security forces and departments and other related government agencies. The rationality of the contingency plan needs to be considered first and foremost; how the operation is coordinated must also be reviewed. On the discovery of problems and insufficiencies during a simulation exercise, the contingency plan involved needs to be updated and improved and operational deployment has to be adjusted promptly for enhanced efficiency and quality of the operation. On the newly modified prison emergency plan, there is a stipulation stating that an inter-departmental joint simulation exercise must be held every two years in order to more clearly define the responsibilities of each department involved and more easily discover weaknesses in the plan, as this will facilitate the plan’s review and optimization on a continual basis.
 

All the departments of the security branch of Government will remain devoted to performing its responsibilities. In a bid to keep up with the times and maintain a heightened sense of vigilance, the departments will continually organize different types of simulation exercises, strengthen their overall emergency response capabilities and the inter-departmental joint mechanism as well as periodically improve the emergency plans. The departments will also continue to commit themselves to effectively safeguarding the prosperity and stability of society and protecting the lives and property of members of the public.


The Secretary for Security and joint operation commander, Wong Sio Chak, presides over the large-scale prison emergency incident simulation exercise codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2023”


Representatives from different security departments in position at the “on-site command centre” established at Coloane Prison, giving orders to direct the on-site operation in accordance with the instructions of the “joint operation command centre”


Simulation: An arson incident at the Female Detention Zone prompts the prison guards to quickly evacuate the area


Simulation: Firefighters initiate the firefighting and rescue operation


Simulation: Inmates unhappy about the suspension of outdoor exercise create a disturbance


Simulation: In the prison visit room, several visitors take hostages, demanding the release of three inmates


Simulation: A joint riot control unit formed by members of the Public Security Police Force and the Correctional Services Bureau subdue the troublemaking inmates


Simulation: The Judiciary Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team negotiates with the hostage-takers to convince them to release the hostages


Simulation: The Public Security Police Force’s Special Operations Team launches an offensive into the visit room, subduing the hostage-takers and successfully rescuing the hostages


Simulation: Paramedics of the Fire Services Bureau send the injured individuals to the hospital for treatment


Simulation: Medical professionals of the Health Bureau administer first aid to the injured individuals at the Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre


Simulation: Through use of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the Macao Customs locate and apprehend the suspect


Simulation: Upon a pursuit at sea, the Macao Customs arrest a male driving a speedboat who is providing support to illicit activities