Largest ever joint Taiwan-Vietnam heroin haul seized

Kaohsiung, Nov. 19 (CNA) A cooperative operation by law enforcement authorities in Taiwan and Vietnam resulted in the seizure of 190 kilograms of heroin, the largest drug haul ever from a joint crime fighting agreement between the two countries, Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office said Tuesday.

Prosecutors said they received a tip-off that a smuggling ring was transporting narcotics hidden in plastic waste in a cargo container traveling from Vietnam to Taiwan.

Local authorities carried out the raid on Oct. 16, discovering 21kg of heroin in the container shipment.

Two people were subsequently arrested and detained in connection with the case, prosecutors said.

Based on information provided by the suspects, authorities began cooperating with law enforcement agencies in Vietnam to track down the source of the drugs.

Vietnamese investigators were able to find 502 bricks of heroin weighing a total of 169kg belonging to the drug ring stashed in a warehouse in Ho Chi Minh City.

On Tuesday, Kaohsiung prosecutors said the combined seizure of 190kg of narcotics marked the largest heroin haul since the two countries signed an agreement to jointly combat drug crime and smuggling in 2014.

According to the Kaohsiung office, the investigation is still ongoing, as authorities search for other members of the crime ring.