Officer Convicted in Drug Resale Scheme Has Travel Ban Extended by 8 Months During Appeal

(CNA, Taipei, June 7) Then-police officer Chen Hsin-an, seeking to boost his performance record, allegedly colluded with former officer Chang Chin-wei, who had been convicted for a "black-on-black" drug scheme, for profit. The High Court sentenced Chen to 4 years and 11 months, a case now under appeal in the third instance. The High Court, considering that his travel restriction period was about to expire, has ruled to extend it by 8 months starting from June 21.

The Taiwan High Court's ruling states that after Chen Hsin-an was sentenced to an executable sentence of 4 years and 11 months, he filed a third-instance appeal. However, facing a high risk of imprisonment, it is foreseeable that he might abscond to evade the execution of his sentence, which is sufficient to deem him a flight risk. Balancing the progress of the trial and the effective exercise of the state's criminal justice power, the court found it necessary to continue the restrictions on leaving the country and going to sea. Therefore, it ruled to extend the restrictions for 8 months from June 21, 2026.

The case originated from a police and prosecutor investigation which found that Chang Chin-wei, who has been dismissed, during his tenure as an officer at the Nanrong Road Police Station of the First Precinct of the Keelung City Police Department, was involved with accomplice Lin Po-han in a "black-on-black" scheme of swapping and selling seized drugs for profit. The Supreme Court last year finalized sentences of 6 years and 8 months for Chang Chin-wei and 1 year and 6 months for Lin Po-han.

Investigators further tracked that Chen Hsin-an, who served as an officer in the Shilin Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department from January 2019, learned of Chang Chin-wei's scheme and, in pursuit of work performance, contacted Chang and emulated his criminal methods. Between December 2022 and January 2023, he cooperated with Chang. Chang would direct accomplice Chiu Yi-ting from behind the scenes to arrange a meeting with a drug seller, while Lin Po-han would act as a fake buyer on site, followed by Chen Hsin-an arriving to conduct the raid.

Investigators found that after Chen Hsin-an seized the drugs at the scene, he would place them aside casually, then take the seller aside to verify their information. Lin Po-han would take the opportunity to swap the drugs with rock sugar or pure white sugar laced with a trace amount of ketamine and take the real drugs back to Chang Chin-wei. The group succeeded twice with this method, making a profit of NT$420,000, of which Chang took NT$260,000, and Lin and Chiu each received NT$80,000.

Additionally, in January 2023, after Chang Chin-wei learned that a seller surnamed Weng wanted to sell 1 kilogram of ketamine, he immediately contacted him and drove Lin and Chiu to Weng's residence. Chen Hsin-an also arrived to conduct a check. Lin and Chiu took the opportunity to steal the drugs and leave in the car. Chen Hsin-an, on the pretext of needing to confirm information, delayed Weng from leaving. After making NT$1.3 million, Chang Chin-wei distributed NT$140,000 each to Lin and Chiu.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office prosecutor scathingly criticized Chen Hsin-an for his willing corruption, seeking sentences of 12 years for Chen, 15 years for Chang Chin-wei, and 12 years for Lin Po-han.

The first-instance panel of the New Taipei District Court considered the confessions of Chen Hsin-an and others and granted them reduced sentences. Chen was sentenced to 5 years and 2 months under the Anti-Corruption Act for joint embezzlement of non-public private property held in an official capacity and for profiteering.

Additionally, based on charges of non-civil servants jointly with civil servants embezzling non-public private property held in an official capacity and profiteering, Chang Chin-wei was sentenced to 5 years, Lin to 3 years and 5 months, and Chiu to 3 years and 2 months.

Upon appeal, the second-instance Taiwan High Court determined that Chen Hsin-an's confession during the investigation, which led to the capture of accomplices, warranted a reduced sentence, changing his sentence to 4 years and 11 months. The appeals for Chang Chin-wei, Lin, and Chiu were dismissed. Chen Hsin-an has since appealed, and the case is now being heard by the Supreme Court. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 20260607