Premier praises results of police's national anti-drug crackdown

Taipei, Nov. 27 (CNA) Taiwan's premier praised a national anti-drug operation that resulted in seizures of more than four thousand kilograms of illegal narcotics in October and early November.

"Harm caused by drugs is a common problem around the world," Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told a news conference organized by the National Police Agency on Wednesday.

"Only heavy punishments will deter drug syndicates," he added.

The news conference attended by the leader of Taiwan's Executive Yuan was called to announce the results of the 11th wave of the police agency's "Operation Safe Homes" initiative conducted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 9.

According to Cho, the operation investigated or apprehended 2,313 individuals suspected of drug-related activities, seized 4,160 kilograms of various narcotics and dismantled 103 drug factories.

The news conference on Wednesday emphasized the illegal use of etomidate -- a short-acting medical anesthetic whose popularity as a recreational drug has skyrocketed in recent years.

Etomidate was reclassified by the Ministry of Justice as a more-serious Category Two narcotic on Nov. 14 following the deaths of two police officers who died in July following a fatal collision with a driver who had consumed the drug.

According to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, individuals convicted of using Category Two narcotics -- which currently include etomidate, marijuana, methamphetamine, and fentanyl -- can face a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

"With stronger legal penalties going forward, law enforcement will be able to more effectively investigate and prevent tragedies [caused by etomidate]," Cho said.

During the press conference, the police also revealed they indicted a suspect after seizing 135 kg of etomidate powder in Kaohsiung in early October -- the largest-ever single shipment of the drug in Taiwan's history.