13 teenagers in Macao prosecuted for taking drugs in party

MACAO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Macao's Public Prosecutions Office decided to initiate court action against 13 teenagers involved in a previous drug party case, according to a press statement released on Wednesday by the office.

In a March drug bust, Macao police raided a Karaoke room, arresting a dozen partying teenagers who were taking drugs and a 17-year-old suspected peddler who provided them with the drugs, the statement said, adding that a number of drugs, including Ketamin, were seized by the police.

The suspected peddler, surnamed Mak, will face charges of drug trafficking and drug usage, while the other 12 teenagers will be prosecuted for taking drugs, the statement also said.

Meanwhile, the suspected peddler has been taken into custody ina prison in Macao's Coloane district pending court trial, and once convicted he can be sentenced to 12 years in prison, according to the statement.

Official statistics show that Macao recorded 10,855 cases of registered crimes in 2006, slightly higher than the 10,538 cases in 2005.