Hong Kong man sentenced to 8 years for smuggling marijuana into Taiwan

Kaohsiung, Sept. 4 (CNA) A Hong Kong man has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Kaohsiung District Court for attempting to smuggle nearly 10 kilograms of marijuana worth NT$14.35 million (US$467,521) into Taiwan from Thailand.

According to the verdict, the man was arrested at Kaohsiung International Airport on March 26 after customs officers found 20 bags of marijuana in his luggage. He was indicted for violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

The individual told the court he agreed to transport the drugs after two acquaintances in Hong Kong promised him HK$100,000 (US$12,820), which he intended to use to repay debts. He received an advance payment of HK$10,000 to cover airfare and other expenses before flying from Hong Kong to Thailand on March 24.

There, he was instructed to pick up a suitcase containing marijuana that had been left at a Bangkok hotel lobby. Two days later, he flew to Kaohsiung, where customs officers detected the contraband and arrested him.

At trial, he admitted guilt and asked for leniency, saying he had provided investigators with the identities of the two acquaintances who recruited him.

However, the court said the large quantity of marijuana posed a serious threat to public safety, adding that the drug is classified as a Category 2 narcotic in Taiwan. It therefore ruled that the man's punishment should not be reduced, sentencing him to eight years in prison.

The verdict can be appealed, the court said.