![Group of scammers allegedly operatingout of a "hot fry" restaurant in Kaohsiung. (Kaohsiung City Police Department photo)](https://image.taiwannews.com.tw/2022%2F09%2F12%2F85d02eaab62141f7822b32a2142a0ae4.png "Group of scammers allegedly operatingout of a "hot fry" restaurant in Kaohsiung. (Kaohsiung City Police Department photo)")
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A fraud and drug ring operating out of a traditional "hot fry" (熱炒) restaurant in Kaohsiung has been shut down by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), according to a UDN report Monday (Sept. 12).
UDN said NT$300 million (US$9.7 million) had been taken in by the business so far this year, while 5,496 packets of "coffee" containing the drug meow meow were recovered. Meow meow, also known as "drone," "M-CAT, and "yurrpt" is a synthetic amphetamine-type drug.
A man surnamed Jiang (蔣) and 14 other people were detained on the grounds of fraud, drugs, money laundering, and organized crime. Per UDN the group sent out LINE messages about stocks and virtual currencies to scam individuals.
The 27-year-old Jiang was identified as the leader of the group and said to have transferred his operation from a nightclub to the "hot fry" restaurant last month, renting a room for NT$5,000. A secondary unit was rented out to pack and store the drugs.
The investigation determined that eight people had been deceived of about NT$60 million, with one business owner in Taichung said to have lost NT$30 million.
(Kaohsiung City Police Department photos)