Canadian indicted over 35-kg ketamine bust at Taoyuan Airport

Taoyuan, June 18 (CNA) A Canadian woman found with 35.11 kilograms of ketamine in her luggage at Taoyuan Airport has been indicted on drug smuggling charges.

The drugs were discovered hidden in the 33-year-old suspect's checked luggage during a routine X-ray screening on April 9, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧) of the Aviation Police Bureau (APB), told local media on Wednesday.

Initial investigations indicate that a trafficking ring had instructed the woman to travel first to Vienna, then smuggle the drugs into Taiwan under the pretense of tourism, Chang said.

The trafficking ring gave the woman CA$1,000 (approximately NT$ 21,600 or US$733) in cash, in addition to paying for her airfare and accommodation, Chang added.

The woman was indicted under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act in May and faces a minimum seven-year prison sentence if convicted of transporting a Schedule III narcotic.