Taipei police bust drug trafficking ring, arrest 10

Taipei, Jan. 22 (CNA) The Taipei City Police Department announced Wednesday that they cracked a drug trafficking ring headed by a gang leader from the Thento Union, a major Taiwanese criminal organization, and arrested 10 suspects.

The department said in a statement that the ring smuggled drugs including cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis concentrate into Taiwan with an American national bringing the drugs into the country in his luggage.

The ring leader, identified by his surname Hsu (許), then instructed members of the gang to produce and sell cannabis vape cartridges for profit.

According to the police department, a special team, acting on tip-offs, seized 4.6 kg of cannabis oil and packaging tools during two operations conducted between March and July in 2024.

Further investigation then led the taskforce to an unnamed U.S. national, whom it suspected of smuggling drugs into Taiwan and eventually arrested in mid-September last year when he attempted to enter Taiwan.

After searching the American national's luggage, the taskforce discovered 1 kilogram of cocaine and 3 kg of amphetamine hidden in snack packaging and toys.

In addition, the traveler was found to have disguised 13 kg of cannabis concentrate as Canadian maple syrup, police said.

Following a series of raids, the taskforce arrested Hsu and several others, police said.

After questioning, the 10 suspects, including the U.S. national, were transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further investigation on suspicion of violating Taiwan's Organized Crime Prevention Act and Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, the statement said.