Yunlin prosecutors indict Vietnamese nationals for marijuana smuggling

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) The Taiwan Yunlin District Prosecutors Office on Friday announced it has indicted two Vietnamese nationals for smuggling marijuana from Thailand into Taiwan.

According to a press release from the office, the case resulted in the confiscation of 2.2 kilograms of cannabis, with a street value of over NT$3 million (US$94,708).

Working in conjunction with Kaohsiung Customs, the office discovered marijuana in a package sent from Thailand last October. The drug is listed as a category 2 narcotic in Taiwan.

The package was sent to Lunbei Township in Yulin County by a man surnamed Tran, who was a Vietnamese migrant worker in Taiwan. A contact number was provided for another Vietnamese national, surnamed Nguyen.

According to the prosecution, Nguyen is an undocumented migrant worker who was previously employed by the same company as Tran.

Kaohsiung Customs officers flagged the package when it arrived in Taiwan on Oct. 15 last year. It was found to contain hair products such as shower caps and perm rods, inside which 10 packets of marijuana Tran procured in Thailand were hidden.

The prosecution added that police officers replaced the drugs with plant material before delivering the package to the listed mailing address

On Oct. 27, the package was delivered to an address where police officers arrested Tran and Nguyen.

Both Vietnamese nationals were indicted for offenses against Taiwan's Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act and the Smuggling Penalty Act.