Record number of marijuana plants seized by Hsinchu authorities

Taipei, Oct. 15 (CNA) A record number of 5,659 marijuana plants in a single case were seized by the Hsinchu District Prosecutors Office during an investigation earlier this year, according to a statement released by the office on Tuesday.

The Hsinchu case was detailed as part of a press conference held to showcase the result of a crackdown on illicit drugs at the Criminal Investigation Bureau in Taipei that day.

The bureau said it received a tip-off in May about an illegal marijuana growing operation and the production of marketable products and notified prosecutors in Hsinchu.

Prosecutors and police in Hsinchu then identified members of a drug ring and two factories used to produce marijuana, seizing 5,659 plants, along with 1,666 seeds and equipment, the prosecutors office said.

The marijuana seized in the Hsinchu case had an estimated street value of NT$2 billion (US$62.17 million), according to the prosecutors office.

Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin (林明昕) said compared with the 468.2 kilograms of marijuana products and 5,896 plants seized in 2023, the total amount seized by the authorities during the first nine months of this year surged to 1,589.44 kg and 9,795 plants, during Tuesday's press conference.

However, the number of marijuana users caught between January and September this year dropped from 664 in 2023 to 609, indicating there could be more hidden users, according to Lin.

As a result, law enforcement should focus on uncovering these hidden users to more effectively crack down on the network of supply and demand, Lin added.