TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Police agencies investigated 399 drug smuggling cases and seized more than 20 tonnes of illegal drugs and precursor chemicals during the first half of the year, according to a Ministry of the Interior report submitted to the legislature.
According to the ministry's analysis, the most common smuggling methods were concealing drugs in luggage and sending them through parcel shipments. Authorities recorded 144 cases involving luggage concealment, accounting for 36.1% of all cases, and 143 cases involving drug parcels, or 35.8%. Other methods included air express shipments, personal concealment by travelers, sea freight containers, and fishing vessels, per UDN.
The report identified Thailand as the leading source of seized drug shipments, with 137 cases. The US ranked second with 40 cases, followed by China with 38 cases. Malaysia and Canada followed with 34 and 24 cases, respectively.
The ministry said investigations into etomidate trafficking found that some shipments originated in Vietnam and Malaysia and were smuggled through luggage concealment, passengers, or air express deliveries. Other shipments were traced to India. Etomidate was reclassified as a Class I narcotic in June.
Among the seizures were approximately 711 kg of Class I drugs, primarily heroin. Authorities also seized about 7,009 kg of Class II drugs, mainly cannabis-derived substances, etomidate, amphetamines, and MDMA. The report said police confiscated about 7,718 kg of Class III drugs, mostly ketamine, and 5,166 kilograms of Class IV substances, primarily precursor chemicals used in drug manufacturing: 1-methylphenyl-1-propanone and 2-bromo-4-methylphenylacetone, per CNA.
Authorities plan to expand cooperation with counterparts in India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Laos through intelligence exchanges, joint investigations, coordinated operations, and cross-border enforcement efforts aimed at identifying pharmaceutical suppliers and dismantling international drug trafficking organizations involved in etomidate production and distribution.
