TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A check at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport turned up 4.108 kilograms of heroin in the luggage of a Latvian construction worker, reports said Tuesday.
The 51-year-old told investigators he had been hired to smuggle gemstones into Taiwan, but did not know about the drugs. per CNA. Customs and the Aviation Police Bureau concluded from the X-ray that there were problems with his luggage after he arrived on a Turkish Airlines flight in August.
When they opened the suitcase, they found heroin hidden inside shoes and behind the lining. The traveler said he had been paid US$200 (NT$6,300) for the trip to Taiwan, with US$1,000 promised for later.
While he had had his suspicions, he said he had not opened the suitcase before boarding the flight as it had been wrapped in plastic. The Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office indicted him for breaking drug laws. Smuggling Category 1 drugs like heroin into the country can lead to a death sentence or life in prison, and a fine of up to NT$30 million.
