More suspects tied to busted cannabis operation in Taoyuan arrested
Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Three more suspects linked to a cannabis farming operation that was busted in Taoyuan last September have been arrested, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said in a press conference Monday.
The male suspects, identified by their last names Chu (朱), Yu (于) and Lee (李), were arrested on Jan. 5, after raids were carried out simultaneously by law enforcement authorities in Taipei, New Taipei and Taichung, the CIB said.
Based on an investigation, the 61-year-old Chu and 71-year-old Yu were recruited by the 53-year-old Lee to act as instructors on how to grow marijuana, the CIB said.
Chu was found to be a specialist in chemical engineering and also knowledgeable about plant cultivation, it said.
The three men are being investigated for suspected violations of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act, and the case has been transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for further investigation, the CIB said.
A local court also granted a request by prosecutors to detain Lee and hold him incommunicado.
The case first came to light when police, acting on a tip-off, raided a nearly 3,000-square-meter farm near an Army base in Longtan District on Sept. 20, 2022, during which eight people were arrested, including a main suspect surnamed Wu (吳) and his accomplice surnamed Ke (柯).
The six others were later identified as undocumented female migrant workers from Indonesia, who had left their original employers.
A total of 4,218 marijuana plants, alongside finished or semi-finished cannabis products, were found at the farm. It was believed to be the largest seizure of the drug in Taiwan’s history, the Longtan police said at the time.
The CIB said Wu and Lee began planning the marijuana farm operation in 2021, with Chu providing his knowledge to Wu on how to grow weed rapidly and on a large scale, including on the equipment and materials needed for the operation.
According to Chang Wen-yuan (張文源), who heads the CIB’s 3rd Investigation Corps, the eight suspects have since been detained and held incommunicado during the ongoing investigation.
They were indicted by Taoyuan prosecutors on charges of violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act on Nov. 17 last year.
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