One Taiwanese man and two Thai nationals are being held on suspicion of attempting to smuggle narcotics with an estimated street value of NT$2.1 billion (US$63.93 million) into Taiwan, law enforcement authorities said on Monday.
A Taiwanese surnamed Hsiao (蕭), 32, and two Thais surnamed Panna, 33, and Kaewsuk, 31, are being held at the Taichung Detention Center, Taichung prosecutor Wu Sheng-feng (吳昇峰) told a news conference.
On July 15, the three were indicted for attempting to bring 525kg of amphetamine and ketamine into Taiwan, in contravention of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), Wu said.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
Minister of Justice Cheng Ming-chien (鄭銘謙), Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office Chief Prosecutor Chang Tou-hui (張斗輝) and Investigation Bureau Director-General Chen Pai-li (陳白立) also attended the news conference at the Detector Dog Breeding and Training Center in Taichung.
Taichung Customs agents inspecting the cargo of a container ship importing furniture from Laem Chabang in Thailand found 317kg of amphetamine and 208kg of ketamine that had been hidden in the ship, investigators said.
The two Thai suspects were targeted by a cross-agency task force after the ship entered the Port of Taichung and were arrested when collecting up the cargo at a port warehouse, they said.
Information from their cellphones and bank transactions led to the detention of Hsiao, who was arrested at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport when returning from China in late March, investigators said, adding that they believe the three belong to an international drug trafficking ring.
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