Drug Lab in Abandoned Pingtung Farmhouse Raided; Over 100kg of Raw Materials Seized, Enough for 100,000 Drug-Laced Coffee Packs

(Central News Agency, Taichung, 19th, by reporter Chao Li-yen) A man surnamed Liu and a man surnamed Chung set up a drug manufacturing factory in an abandoned farmhouse in Pingtung, which was then handed over to a man surnamed Lin for packaging and transport. After months of investigation, police raided the site recently and seized over 100 kilograms of drug raw materials, enough to produce about 100,000 packs of drug-laced coffee. The suspects were sent for prosecution according to the law. The Third Precinct of the Taichung City Police Department stated in a press release today that, under the direction of the Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office, a special task force was formed, activating a cross-regional joint strike mechanism. After several months of surveillance and evidence collection, the crime syndicate's drug factory in Pingtung was identified. When the time was right, the police launched a raid. According to the police investigation, 44-year-old Liu taught 36-year-old Chung how to manufacture drugs, and the two could produce over 100 kilograms of drug raw materials within 20 days. This was then handed over to 35-year-old Lin for packaging, who then delivered the raw materials and finished products to drug dealers. The over 100 kilograms of drug raw materials seized this time can be made into about 100,000 packs of drug-laced coffee. Calculated at a market price of NT$500 per pack, the market value is about NT$50 million. Police seized a large amount of cathinone finished products, semi-finished products, chemical laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals, and 2,669 packs of drug-laced coffee at the scene. After questioning, Liu and the other two men were transferred for prosecution under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act. The case has been concluded by the prosecutor and an indictment has been filed. The Third Precinct stated that the operation broke down geographical barriers through the 'regional joint defense mechanism' of prosecutor-police cooperation, shifting from the past model of only targeting users to one that emphasizes both 'people' and 'quantity,' precisely striking at crime dens hidden in rural neighborhoods from the source. (Editor: Chen Jen-hua)