Eight suspects have been indicted by Taoyuan prosecutors for their involvement with regards to a large seizure of cannabis plants earlier this year, Taoyuan police said on Thursday.
The 4,218 seized marijuana plants — believed to be the largest seizure in Taiwan’s history — alongside finished or semi-finished cannabis products, was estimated to have a market value of NT$1.26 billion (US$40.38 million), Longtan Precinct police told a news conference.
According to the police, they tracked down the prime suspect identified as Wu (吳) and an accomplice surnamed Ke (柯), and seized the marijuana plants on a nearly 3,000-square-meter farm near an Army base in Longtan District on Sept. 20, only a week after receiving a tip-off.
Wu, a flower trader who had a gangster past, was found to have imported marijuana seeds and taught himself how to plant them, an initial police investigation found.
Wu also hired six undocumented migrant workers from Indonesia to help him and Ke on the plantation. All eight were arrested during the police raid in September.
In light of the seriousness of the case, prosecutors have asked permission from the court to continue holding the eight suspects incommunicado based on the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act as they pose a flight and collusion risk.
The marijuana plants will be destroyed in December.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel