The Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said it has carried out what it called the largest ketamine bust in the nation’s law enforcement history after confiscating tonnes of illegal substances from a fishing boat near the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島).
On Friday last week, Hsinchu prosecutor Sheng Yu-chih (沈郁智), leading a task force of coast guards, military police and the Hsinchu Police Department, found 52 sacks of drugs after raiding the Taiwan-flagged vessel Maan Ruby Fuh.
Officers seized 1.6 tonnes of ketamine and 22.5kg of amphetamines, inclusive of packaging material, the office said, adding that the substances had a street value of at least NT$2 billion (US$60.99 million).
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
The Hsinchu District Court on Friday authorized prosecutors to detain a man surnamed Chen (陳), who was the ship’s captain, and two Indonesian nationals under his employ with restrictions on their communications to prevent collusion, court documents showed.
According to the office, Hsinchu police and coast guard personnel separately obtained intelligence suggesting that Chen, who was convicted 12 years ago of cigarette smuggling, allegedly planned to traffic drugs into the country.
The office assigned the case to Sheng, whose investigation revealed that Chen allegedly intended to transport an unprecedented amount of drugs and cut deals with buyers from across Taiwan, it said.
The Hsinchu Military Police Command and Taichung Police Bureau’s Wujih Precinct were brought into the task force due to the purported smuggling operation’s unexpectedly large scope, the office said.
Investigators further found the boat’s transponder had not been turned on for more than six months.
When the boat abruptly reappeared near the Pratas Islands, Sheng ordered a team to board and inspect the vessel, resulting in the discovery of the narcotics in its hold, the office said.
Rough sea conditions stranded the trawler and the officers in the water until Thursday, when the substances were unloaded and weighed at Hsinchu Fishing Port, it said.
Chen’s drug suppliers appeared to possess some level of organization, as they allegedly packed the narcotics in tea bags bearing markings that seemingly denoted the quality of the substances they contained, the office said.
Police are directing the inquiry toward identifying the organizations or people who placed orders for the drugs, it said.
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