TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Investigators found ketamine with an estimated street value of NT$900 million (US$27.82 million) on board a Mongolian-registered freighter in Kaohsiung harbor, reports said Wednesday (June 12).

The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) discovered 893 kilograms of the illegal drug in March, per CNA. Details of the case were revealed at a ceremony Wednesday where the authorities presented the results of an anti-drug campaign to Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰).

A CGA unit based in Fengshan, Kaohsiung City, first learned last year that a major drugs smuggling operation was being prepared. Following months of investigative work, suspicion centered on a Mongolian-registered ship anchored in Kaohsiung Port.

When investigators boarded the freighter on March 19, they found 851 packages wrapped inside 34 jute bags. Even though they were marked with the simplified Chinese characters for Tieguanyin tea, they contained ketamine.

The captain, who was a citizen of Myanmar, and the chief engineer were indicted last week, the CGA said. The investigation was continuing to try and uncover the network behind the smugglers.

In a separate case in January, the CGA picked up 985 kg of ketamine floating in the sea off Changhua County. Investigators used big data analysis to track down three suspects who had planned to take delivery of the drugs and the captain and two crew members of a ship registered in Pingtung County.