Rumor of 'NT$200,000 Bail for Mastermind in 100kg Drug Smuggling from India' Debunked by Prosecutor's Office

(Central News Agency, reporter Zhang Yilian, Kaohsiung, 11th) In response to recent rumors circulating on online social platforms claiming that "the mastermind behind the air shipment of 100kg of drugs from India to Kaohsiung was released on NT$200,000 bail," the Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office today clarified that this is false information and urged the public not to forward unverified messages to avoid misunderstandings.

The Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office issued a press release today explaining that this case involves a cross-border drug smuggling investigation led by prosecutor Li Kanying. Authorities seized 100 kilograms of etomidate, a Category 2 narcotic, which was air-shipped from India. It is estimated that if the drugs had entered the market, they could have been used to produce approximately 1 million etomidate vape cartridges. The case has been prosecuted under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

The prosecutor's office stated that the defendant, surnamed Pan, was suspected of involvement in major crimes including the transportation of Category 2 narcotics. After being questioned by the prosecutor, a request for his detention was filed but was rejected by the Qiaotou District Court. The main suspect, surnamed Cheng, was already undergoing compulsory observation and rehabilitation at the Kaohsiung Drug Rehabilitation Center under the Correctional Agency for another case during the investigation period. After reviewing the circumstances of the individual case, the prosecutor determined that there was no need to request detention.

The prosecutor's office pointed out that all compulsory measures in criminal cases must be determined according to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the specific circumstances of each case. The rumors circulating externally about "the mastermind being released on NT$200,000 bail" are not factual. They called on all sectors to rely on official press releases and public information issued by judicial authorities for information on major criminal cases and to refrain from forwarding unverified information to avoid causing public misunderstanding. (Editor: Zhang Mingkun) 1150611