TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The owner of a beef noodle shop along with eight other suspects has been arrested in northern Taiwan for selling "Sour Diesel" marijuana to foreign college students and teenagers as part of four grow operations.
Officers from the Third Special Police Corps from the Ministry of Interior's National Police Agency recently received a tip that a 23-year-old foreign university student identified by the surname Hung (洪) was cultivating the cannabis variety "Sour Diesel" in his off-campus rental apartment in Taoyuan City, reported CNA. Police were then able to trace the source of Hung's plants to a 33-year-old man surnamed Lo (羅), who operated a beef noodle shop in the city.
Officers inspect marijuana plants. (Third Special Police Corps photo)
According to a police investigation, Lo opened the shop next to a university, selling marijuana to foreign college students, including Hung, as well as a number of teenagers. After three months of investigation, police were able to connect Lo with other growers, including a 30-year-old man surnamed Sang (桑) in Yilan County, a 27-year-old man surnamed Ma (馬) in Taichung City's Qingshui District, and a 29-year-old man surnamed Lai (賴) from Kaohsiung.
This week, police raided four cannabis grow operations and seized 52 live cannabis plants, 937 grams of dried cannabis products, 182 grams of cannabis seeds, as well as cultivating and packaging equipment. Officers said this was part of an effort to disrupt the flow of marijuana products into campuses and the community.
Closeup of marijuana plants seized by officers. (Third Special Police Corps photo)
A total of nine suspects have been arrested thus far, including Lo, Hung, Sang, Ma, Lai, a 28-year-old woman surnamed Lu (陸), a 23-year-old man surnamed Hsu (許), a 25-year-old woman surnamed Lo (羅), and a 24-year-old man surnamed Peng (彭).