TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two agricultural experts and an accomplice have been arrested for their role in a marijuana growing operation that was discovered by police in September, the largest found by authorities in Taiwan's history.
Acting on a tip, the Longtan Precinct of the Taoyuan Police Department conducted a raid on a marijuana field on a farm near the Army's 601st Aviation Brigade on Sept. 20 and arrested eight suspects at the scene. Officers seized over 4,000 marijuana plants with a street value of more than NT$1.26 billion (US$40.5 million).
The main suspect, a 68-year-old man surnamed Wu (吳), who is a known gang member, used his experience importing and exporting flowers and operating a gardening business to acquire marijuana seeds. His male accomplice surnamed Ke (柯) and six unaccounted-for female Indonesian migrant workers took part in the cultivation process.
(CIB image)
On Monday (Jan. 16), the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced that it had recently tracked down two consultants who allegedly provided their expertise in running the operation surnamed Chu (朱) and Yu (于). They also arrested another accomplice of Wu surnamed Li (李).
According to the CIB investigation, Wu was a ranking member of the Songlian Gang (松聯幫) and went by the nickname Lichih (荔枝). From 2021, Wu and Li began planning and recruited Chu and Yu, who have professional training in engineering and botany, to teach Wu how to use precise soil types, fertilizer ratios, and lighting to grow marijuana.
Chu allegedly introduced planting techniques from California marijuana farms and translated English growing instructions into Mandarin for Wu. Li then procured the equipment and materials needed and Wu and others propagated the plants from cuttings, eventually growing 4,218 plants.
(CIB image)
The CIB said it successfully tracked down the source of the operation to the Songlian Gang and narcotics experts. The bureau hailed the seizure as having prevented the drugs from entering the market and preventing the gang from succeeding, "effectively maintaining law and order."
The bureau vowed that it will "never compromise its determination to crack down on gangs and drug offenses."
