SURVEILLANCE KEY: The criminal ring allegedly planned to smuggle ketamine in a fishing vessel to try to make huge profits at the Spring Scream music festival
Taipei Times
Date: Apr 08, 2019
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter
The boarding of a fishing vessel suspected of transporting contraband turned into the
Bags of ketamine confiscated by the Coast Guard Administration are on display in Kaohsiung yesterday.Photo: Hung Ting-hung, Taipei Times
largest marine seizure of illegal drugs so far this year, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has announced.
Labels on the packages containing 320kg of ketamine, shipped as tea leaves, had simplified Chinese characters, so the cargo is suspected to have originated in China, CGA Investigation Branch deputy chief Ruan Wen-chieh (阮文杰) said.
The boarding was conducted on Thursday last week at the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), about 200 nautical miles (370km) southwest of Kaohsiung Port, Ruan added.
Test results showed that the packages contained ketamine with an estimated street value of about NT$320 million (US$10.38 million), he said.
“Surveillance indicated that a criminal ring had plans to smuggle ketamine in a fishing vessel to try to make huge profits by selling ketamine pills to revellers at the Spring Scream music festival,” Ruan said. [FULL STORY]
