5 indicted in Chiayi for producing ketamine

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) The Chiayi District Prosecutors Office on Wednesday indicted five individuals for their roles in a ketamine production case, in which an estimated 100 kilograms of the drug have already entered the market.

The five were indicted for manufacturing Category 3 narcotics, as defined in the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

Prosecutors did not recommend specific sentences for the defendants, but asked the court to hand down "appropriate sentences" for two individuals, surnamed Huang (黃) and Su (蘇), who played "key roles" in the criminal operation.

According to the indictment, the 28-year-old Huang received NT$100,000 (US$3,164) from a drug syndicate and, following instructions, rented a corrugated metal warehouse in a remote area of Shuishang Township in Chiayi County, to serve as a drug production site.

The 31-year-old Su was then brought in for his expertise in producing ketamine, which prosecutors said he had learned in Cambodia. Su then recruited three additional men to assist in the operation.

On March 13, 2025, Huang drove the other four suspects to the production site, and he was also responsible for supplying them with daily necessities, prosecutors alleged.

After receiving reports of the drug production operation, the Taichung City Police Department and the Coast Guard Administration's Yunlin Investigative Branch formed a joint task force and raided the warehouse on April 6.

During the operation, officers arrested the five suspects and seized evidence, including ketamine, semi-finished drugs, raw materials and drug-manufacturing equipment, according to the indictment.

According to prosecutors, most of the drugs produced by the time of the raid had already entered the market, posing a serious threat to public safety.

They noted that Huang initially denied any involvement, claiming he was unaware that Su was producing drugs, but he later confessed.

Prosecutors also said that Su refused to cooperate with authorities at the time of his arrest by withholding the password to his mobile phone.

This allowed his accomplices to remotely delete messages on the device, hindering the police investigation, they said.