TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Eight suspects, including two Taiwanese and six undocumented Indonesian migrant workers, have been indicted after police carried out the largest marijuana plant seizure in Taiwan's history.
At a press conference on Thursday (Nov. 17), the Longtan Precinct of the Taoyuan Police Department said it had conducted a raid on a marijuana field on a farm near the Army's 601st Aviation Brigade on Sept. 20, reported ETtoday. Officers seized 4,218 marijuana plants with a street value of more than NT$1.26 billion (US$40.5 million), making it Taiwan's largest ever cannabis plant seizure.
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
According to Longtan Precinct, the main suspect, a man surnamed Wu (吳) who is a known gang member, used his experience of importing and exporting flowers and operating a gardening business to acquire marijuana seeds. He then taught himself via internet research how to grow cannabis plants.
His male Taiwanese accomplice surnamed Ke (柯) and six unaccounted for female Indonesian migrant workers took part in the cultivation process. They selected an isolated stretch of farmland that covered nearly 900 ping (a ping equals 3.3 square meters) — the equivalent of about seven basketball courts.
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
Police said that because aircraft are prohibited from flying over the area and there are a number of large trees such as larch planted along the surrounding walls of the farm, it was difficult to search for evidence. After several days of surveilling the area, Wu and Ke were identified and the presence of cannabis was confirmed.
When officers raided the farm at dawn, they arrested eight suspects and seized 4,218 marijuana plants, one batch of buds, four cans of cannabis tincture, finished and semi-finished cannabis products, a manual on cannabis cultivation, and other evidence. The goods seized had a street value of over NT$1.26 billion and could provide "more than 1 million puffs of marijuana."
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
According to police, the raid netted the largest number of marijuana plants in one grow operation, and it took place before the harvest could be completed. After a court hearing, the eight were transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutor's Office and indicted for breaking the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
Prosecutors filed a successful request with the court to hold the suspects incommunicado due to the large amount of drugs seized and concerns that they posed a flight risk.
Layout of the marijuana growing operation. (Taoyuan Police Department photo)
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
(Taoyuan Police Department photo)
Evidence including manuals on marijuana cultivation. (Taoyuan Police Department photo)