Taiwan Coast Guard and US HSI Bust Cross-Border Drug Trafficking, Arrest 22 in Six Months
In response to international drug syndicates using individuals from Europe, America, and Thailand to smuggle drugs by swallowing them, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) joined forces with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Since October last year, they have successfully cracked 14 cases at Taoyuan and Kaohsiung airports, arresting 22 suspects and preventing drugs from entering the country. A total of 23.3 kg of heroin, valued at over NT$81 million, was seized. The cooperation, based on three intelligence-sharing models, will be expanded, and efforts will be made to regulate new precursor chemicals.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 19:36
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An international drug trafficking syndicate has been using individuals from Europe, America, and Thailand to smuggle drugs into Taiwan by having them swallow the substances before boarding flights. In response, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) of the Ocean Affairs Council has partnered with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to combat drug trafficking. Since October of last year, they have successfully intercepted 14 cases, involving a total of 22 suspects, at Taoyuan International Airport and Kaohsiung International Airport, effectively stopping the drugs at the border.
The CGA held a joint press conference today on the results of their cooperative efforts, titled "Joint Press Conference on the Seizure of Cross-Border Airport Drug Trafficking in Cooperation between the Investigation and Prevention Division and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations." Attendees included Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling, Acting Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors Office Hsu Hsi-hsiang, and HSI Lead Investigator Brian Sherota.
In her remarks, Minister Kuan praised Huang Hsi-chang, Director of the CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division, and Brian Sherota as the "best leading actors" for making the Taiwan-U.S. cooperation a success. The Investigation and Prevention Division has been working closely with HSI since last October, successfully cracking 14 cross-border airport drug trafficking cases involving body-packing (swallowing capsules) and luggage concealment.
She stated that a total of 23.3 kilograms of the Class 1 drug heroin (equivalent to 62 bricks of heroin) were seized, with a market value exceeding NT$81 million. This amount could supply approximately 770,000 individual doses. A total of 22 suspects, including nationals from Europe, America, and Thailand, were arrested.
The CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division explained that 11 of these cases involved drug mules swallowing capsules. The transnational drug syndicate recruited unemployed individuals or petty thieves from Europe, America, and Thailand, paying them NT$50,000 per trip to swallow about 1 kilogram of heroin. The mules would then fly to Taiwan before their stomach acid could dissolve the capsules and take laxatives to excrete the drugs upon arrival.
Acting on intelligence, the CGA would identify and detain the drug mules as they queued for immigration, taking them in for questioning to verify their identities. They were then taken to a hospital for X-rays. Once the presence of drugs in their bodies was confirmed, physicians would assist in administering enemas to expel the toxic capsules.
Kuan mentioned that the close intelligence cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. operated under three models. The first involved cases initiated by the CGA, who then reported to HSI for assistance due to complex criminal networks. The second involved HSI passing on Taiwan-related intelligence to the CGA for investigation. The third involved both sides continuously exchanging intelligence to jointly target and bust operations.
She said that the two agencies have already identified other major cases through intelligence exchange and are in the final stages of closing in, with plans to continue expanding their joint-enforcement capacity. She also shared a personal experience of being rear-ended by a drugged driver, expressing her deep concern about the immense harm that new emerging drugs like "zombie vapes" pose to young people and social order.
In addition to airport seizures, the CGA has also achieved significant results in maritime and land-based interdictions, seizing over 4 metric tons of drugs so far this year. In terms of tracing sources on land, the CGA's Changhua Investigation Team, under the direction of the Chiayi District Prosecutors Office and in collaboration with police units, busted a large-scale clandestine factory in a Chiayi City residence in late January. The factory was using an unregulated chemical (etomidate acid) to produce a Class 2 narcotic.
Kuan said that to close legal loopholes, the Ocean Affairs Council is actively discussing with police authorities to push for the classification of precursor chemicals like etomidate as Class 4 narcotics to strengthen source management mechanisms.
"Body packing is highly covert and extremely difficult to detect, relying on precise intelligence for effective interception," Kuan emphasized. She stressed that such fruitful results would have been nearly impossible without transnational intelligence sharing and expressed her highest respect for the front-line CGA officers. She pledged to continue fighting for more reasonable allowances and criminal investigation pay supplements to provide the most substantial support for grassroots personnel.
The CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division stated that it will fully cooperate with the Executive Yuan's "New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan 3.0" and implement the "Anjyu Anti-Drug Project." It will continue to integrate with prosecutors, police, investigators, customs, and international law enforcement partners, deepening cooperation through a cross-border joint strike mechanism to achieve the goal of "keeping drugs out of the country" and ensuring the mission of "national security, public safety, and peace."
The CGA held a joint press conference today on the results of their cooperative efforts, titled "Joint Press Conference on the Seizure of Cross-Border Airport Drug Trafficking in Cooperation between the Investigation and Prevention Division and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations." Attendees included Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling, Acting Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors Office Hsu Hsi-hsiang, and HSI Lead Investigator Brian Sherota.
In her remarks, Minister Kuan praised Huang Hsi-chang, Director of the CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division, and Brian Sherota as the "best leading actors" for making the Taiwan-U.S. cooperation a success. The Investigation and Prevention Division has been working closely with HSI since last October, successfully cracking 14 cross-border airport drug trafficking cases involving body-packing (swallowing capsules) and luggage concealment.
She stated that a total of 23.3 kilograms of the Class 1 drug heroin (equivalent to 62 bricks of heroin) were seized, with a market value exceeding NT$81 million. This amount could supply approximately 770,000 individual doses. A total of 22 suspects, including nationals from Europe, America, and Thailand, were arrested.
The CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division explained that 11 of these cases involved drug mules swallowing capsules. The transnational drug syndicate recruited unemployed individuals or petty thieves from Europe, America, and Thailand, paying them NT$50,000 per trip to swallow about 1 kilogram of heroin. The mules would then fly to Taiwan before their stomach acid could dissolve the capsules and take laxatives to excrete the drugs upon arrival.
Acting on intelligence, the CGA would identify and detain the drug mules as they queued for immigration, taking them in for questioning to verify their identities. They were then taken to a hospital for X-rays. Once the presence of drugs in their bodies was confirmed, physicians would assist in administering enemas to expel the toxic capsules.
Kuan mentioned that the close intelligence cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. operated under three models. The first involved cases initiated by the CGA, who then reported to HSI for assistance due to complex criminal networks. The second involved HSI passing on Taiwan-related intelligence to the CGA for investigation. The third involved both sides continuously exchanging intelligence to jointly target and bust operations.
She said that the two agencies have already identified other major cases through intelligence exchange and are in the final stages of closing in, with plans to continue expanding their joint-enforcement capacity. She also shared a personal experience of being rear-ended by a drugged driver, expressing her deep concern about the immense harm that new emerging drugs like "zombie vapes" pose to young people and social order.
In addition to airport seizures, the CGA has also achieved significant results in maritime and land-based interdictions, seizing over 4 metric tons of drugs so far this year. In terms of tracing sources on land, the CGA's Changhua Investigation Team, under the direction of the Chiayi District Prosecutors Office and in collaboration with police units, busted a large-scale clandestine factory in a Chiayi City residence in late January. The factory was using an unregulated chemical (etomidate acid) to produce a Class 2 narcotic.
Kuan said that to close legal loopholes, the Ocean Affairs Council is actively discussing with police authorities to push for the classification of precursor chemicals like etomidate as Class 4 narcotics to strengthen source management mechanisms.
"Body packing is highly covert and extremely difficult to detect, relying on precise intelligence for effective interception," Kuan emphasized. She stressed that such fruitful results would have been nearly impossible without transnational intelligence sharing and expressed her highest respect for the front-line CGA officers. She pledged to continue fighting for more reasonable allowances and criminal investigation pay supplements to provide the most substantial support for grassroots personnel.
The CGA's Investigation and Prevention Division stated that it will fully cooperate with the Executive Yuan's "New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan 3.0" and implement the "Anjyu Anti-Drug Project." It will continue to integrate with prosecutors, police, investigators, customs, and international law enforcement partners, deepening cooperation through a cross-border joint strike mechanism to achieve the goal of "keeping drugs out of the country" and ensuring the mission of "national security, public safety, and peace."