Taiwan Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office Press Release

Issue Date: December 29, 2023
Contributor: Chao-Ching Hsieh ,Deputy Chief Prosecutor

The prosecutor of this office is handling the investigation of a maritime cannabis smuggling case

The prosecutor Yang Yi-Yun has successfully led a significant maritime cannabis smuggling case. Following three months of meticulous investigation, the task force, in collaboration with the North Gate Interdiction Team of the Coast Guard Administration under the Ocean Affairs Council, took action in the waters northwest of Kaohsiung from December 9th to 12th.

During this operation, the task force successfully intercepted a raft carrying 221 kilograms of cannabis and a floating cache of 1,159 kilograms of cannabis. Additionally, the task force intercepted a Mongolian-flagged drug trafficking oil tanker mother ship off the coast of Xingda Port, resulting in the seizure of a total of 1,381 kilograms of Class 2 narcotics, cannabis.

The prosecutor has arrested 10 suspects, including crew members, after interrogation, are deemed to be involved in drug transportation offenses under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act. Given the gravity of the suspicions, the prosecutor have applied to the court for the detainment and was approved.

The success of this operation is attributed to the meticulous evidence collection by the task force over the past three months, fully understand the dynamics of the defendants and the raft. Collaborating with the Coast Guard Administration, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and various police precincts,

the task force executed a joint operation, successfully seizing a substantial amount of narcotics in the waters northwest of Kaohsiung and dismantling the criminal model of mother ship drug trafficking.

A total of 1,381 kilograms of Class 2 cannabis were intercepted in this operation. Rolled into cannabis cigarettes, it could supply approximately 2.8 million uses, with an estimated market value of NT$3.5 billion. If these drugs had entered the market, it would have had a severe impact on public safety and the health of the citizens. The Prosecutors' Office remains committed to combating crime, investigating the syndicates behind drug trafficking, and urges the collective efforts of the public to create a drug-free community.

News No. 112122901