News Briefs
Simulation Exercise of Large-scale Emergency Incident in Prison – “Operation Thunderbolt 2025” Conducted Smoothly (2025-06-27)
To strengthen the joint cooperation mechanism and emergency response and coordination abilities of security departments and other government agencies, on 27 June, personally directed by Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, the Unitary Police Service hosted a simulation exercise of a large-scale emergency incident in prison, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2025”, inside Coloane Prison and on its perimeter, featuring such scenarios as prison riot, hostage-taking in an attempt to stage a prison break, handling of explosives and pursuit and interception of suspicious individuals. 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, fulfilling the anticipated goals.
Beginning at 15:00, the simulation exercise started with the scenario where four inmates in Coloane Prison’s Male Detention Zone got into an argument and physical altercation when watching the television. A prison social worker attempted to mediate the altercation, but to no avail, and the altercation turned into a group fight. To prevent the situation from further worsening, the Prison activated the “Correctional Services Bureau emergency response plan” at once, establishing an emergency response command centre, dispatching a joint riot control taskforce of the Prison – formed by its Tactical Response Unit and Riot Control Unit – to suppress the violence as well as stopping all activities in the Prison. On its swift arrival at the scene, the Prison’s joint riot control taskforce successfully contained the situation and subdued the troublemaking inmates.
While the conflict in the detention area was being handled, another simulated scenario in the outdoor exercise area occurred: 40 inmates who were having their outdoor exercise became emotional due to the halt in their exercise session, refusing to obey prison guards’ orders and return to their cells. The Prison immediately dispatched the Tactical Response Unit for support and response at the scene. Meanwhile, a suspicious backpack was found on the prison perimeter; upon examination, a suspected explosive device was discovered in the backpack. The authorities, judging the situation grave upon assessment, decided to activate the “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 personnel from the Correctional Services Bureau, the Public Security Police Force and the Fire Services Bureau, with the Director of the Correctional Services Bureau serving as the commander. The on-site command centre then received a report that two inmates at a prison checkpoint, with sharp pencils in hand, were holding another two inmates hostage in an attempt to escape from prison; the inmates and the prison guards at the scene were in a standoff. Due to an obvious connection between the emergency incidents that had occurred one after another, the Director of the Correctional Services Bureau reported the incident to the Secretary for Security.
After listening to the report by the Director of the Correctional Services Bureau, the Secretary for Security, due to the series of major incidents that were highly possibly pre-meditated and the growing gravity and complexity of the situation, decided to raise the emergency level and activate the “security forces and departments’ response plan for emergency incidents in prison” and instructed the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service to establish the “joint operation command centre”, commanding 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 to initiate a joint operation. As the violent conflict in the Prison’s outdoor exercise area kept on escalating, the “joint operation command centre” immediately instructed the Riot Control Unit of the Public Security Police Force and the Prison’s Riot Control Unit to form a joint riot control taskforce and launch an offensive into the outdoor exercise area. The taskforce successfully subdued the troublemaking inmates, and the Judiciary Police took away the inmates involved in the incident for investigation. In a simulated scenario at the scene, 15 inmates sustained minor injuries and received treatment by the medical personnel of the Fire Services Bureau and the Prison at the temporary medical station.
In the hostage siege incident at the prison checkpoint, the Judiciary Police’s negotiators and the Public Security Police Force’s Special Operations Team swiftly arrived at the scene, successfully persuading the hostage-takers to release one of the hostages, but the hostage-takers grew emotionally unstable and stabbed another hostage. As instructed, the Special Operations Team rapidly undertook a rescue operation and succeeded in containing the hostage-takers and rescuing the hostages. In a simulation at the scene, three injured persons received preliminary care by the medical personnel of the Fire Services Bureau and the Health Bureau before being sent by an ambulance to the hospital for further treatment.
In the meantime, the Public Security Police Force’s Bomb Squad and the Fire Services Bureau’s paramedics arrived at the location of the suspected explosive device on the prison perimeter. Upon examination by the personnel of the Bomb Squad, the object was confirmed to be an explosive device and a bomb disposal robot detonated the device on the spot. Members of the Judiciary Police’s Crime Scene Investigation Team then gathered evidence and investigated at the scene. Surveillance footage was reviewed and a man suspected of placing the explosive device-containing backpack was identified. The Public Security Police Force intensified patrols and checks in various districts at once, apprehending the man while trying to pinpoint the whereabouts of a suspected getaway vehicle. The Macao Customs deployed patrol cars, motorcycles and boats and a drone squad to conduct searches, pursuits and interceptions, ultimately succeeding in stopping and arresting the suspicious individual who was driving the vehicle. The Judiciary Police then took the individuals involved away for further investigation.
The exercise marked the first inter-departmental emergency response simulation exercise upon Coloane Prison’s relocation to Ká Hó and aimed to review the joint cooperation mechanism between the security departments and other government agencies for responding to large-scale emergency incidents in prison. Lasting approximately one hour and 15 minutes, the exercise had 419 participants from multiple security departments and the Health Bureau. The exercise achieved the targets, further optimizing the information notification and the coordinated command and communication between the departments of the security branch of Government and other government agencies in their joint response to emergencies.
Secretary Wong Sio Chak stated in his concluding remarks that the exercise demonstrated efficient inter-departmental coordination and the professionalism and operational readiness of all departments involved as well as validated the scientific rigor and effectiveness of the current emergency response plan. Through this exercise, all departments gained a more concrete understanding of the new environment and facilities of Coloane Prison, which enabled their more effective evaluation of the feasibility of the emergency plan and its key operational aspects. This will serve as valuable reference for refining the emergency response protocols for the new prison. All departments must conduct thorough reviews into this exercise and meticulously incorporate the lessons learned into the emergency plan to optimize tactical deployments and enhance the comprehensiveness and robustness of operation plans. Additionally, all departments shall remain vigilant at all times and strictly implement all security management mechanisms to strengthen the safety of the new prison.
All the departments of the security branch of Government will remain devoted to steadfastly fulfilling its responsibilities while keeping up with the times. The departments will also persist in enhancing risk awareness and emergency prevention capabilities and continually promote the organization of various emergency drills to improve crisis response and inter-departmental collaboration and effectively optimize emergency response plans so as to fortify the public security front line and tangibly safeguard social stability and the lives and property of members of the public.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak commands the simulation exercise, codenamed “Operation Thunderbolt 2025”, of a large-scale emergency incident in prison
Representatives of different security departments gather at the “on-site command centre” established in the Correctional Services Bureau, directing and coordinating the operation on site in accordance with the instructions given by the “joint operation command centre”
Simulation: the Prison’s joint riot control taskforce brings the group fight among inmates in the detention area to a stop
Simulation: inmates get emotional and create a disturbance out of their displeasure about the halt in their outdoor exercise
Simulation: a joint riot control taskforce formed by the personnel from the Public Security Police Force and the Correctional Services Bureau subdues the troublemaking inmates
Simulation: medical personnel of the Fire Services Bureau and the Prison provide treatment at the temporary medical station to the inmates who have sustained minor injuries
Simulation: inmates take hostages after exploiting an opportunity and engage in a standoff with the prison guards
Simulation: personnel of the Judiciary Police’s Crisis Negotiation Team negotiate with the hostage-takers
Simulation: the Public Security Police Force’s Special Operations Team launches an offensive into the location where the hostage-takers are hiding, subduing the hostage-takers and rescuing the hostages
Simulation: the Public Security Police Force’s Bomb Squad arrives at the scene to detonate the suspected explosive device
Simulation: the Fire Services Bureau’s paramedics and the Health Bureau’s medical staff treat the injured individuals
Simulation: the Judiciary Police’s crime scene investigation personnel gather evidence at the location of the blast
Simulation: the Macao Customs’ patrol car pursues and intercepts the white suspicious vehicle
Simulation: the Macao Customs intercepts the suspicious man and transfers him to the personnel of the Judiciary Police for follow-up investigation