About our Operations

Organization Overview

I. Basis for Organizational Structure

The Executive Yuan promulgated 10 job responsibilities of the Bureau on August 27, 1956, among these, Item 6 “Narcotics Hazard Prevention” and Item 10 “Investigation and Protection Matters Specially Assigned by Authorities” provided the legal basis for the Bureau to carry out drug crime prevention work.

In response to the increasingly worsening drug problem in Taiwan, the Executive Yuan declared a "war on drugs" on May 12, 1993, to ensure social stability and public health. Following this directive, the Bureau established the "Drug Enforcement Center" on April 1, 1994. The Executive Yuan revised and approved the Bureau‘s 9 job responsibilities on October 30, 1998, of which, the statutory responsibility of the Bureau for drug enforcement was clearly stated in Item 5 “Drug Enforcement Matters;” and the wording in Item 9 was revised to “Investigation and protection matters related to national security and national interests specially assigned by the authorities.”

The President promulgated to have the “Organic Statute of Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice” amended as “Organic Law of Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice” on December 19, 2007. The 20 job responsibilities of the Bureau are stipulated in Article 2 of the Act, including Item 6 “Drug enforcement matters” and Item 20 “Investigation and protection matters related to national security and national interests specially assigned by the authorities.” Also, the “Drug Enforcement Division” is established, which is the current legal basis for the Bureau to carry out drug crime prevention work.

II. Organization and Operation Overview

The Ministry of Justice revised and issued the “Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau Charter” on October 17, 2008. The establishment of the Drug Enforcement Division was stated in Article 4, Paragraph 4, which is divided into three sections. The following matters to be handled by the Drug Enforcement Division are stipulated in Article 8:

A. Planning, guiding, coordinating, and evaluating drug enforcement work.

B. Guiding and reviewing the investigation and prosecution of drug-related crimes.

C. Exchanging criminal intelligence, coordinating contacts, and cooperating on case investigations with domestic and overseas narcotics enforcement agencies.

D. Controlling the process of handling seized drugs, and centralized storage and destruction.

E. Filing, statistics, analysis, and use of drug crime data.

F. Research on drug crime prevention work.

G. Compiling annual reports and handbooks on drug enforcement.

H. Other matters related to drug enforcement.

The Drug Enforcement Division is led by a director who handles general affairs, a deputy director who assists with operations, and a special committee member who also assists with general affairs. There are three sections under the Division for the respective responsibilities assigned as follows:

1. Cross-border Investigation Section: Responsible for cooperating with overseas drug enforcement agencies to jointly investigate drug-related crimes.

2. Case Investigation Section: Responsible for domestic investigations of drug-related crimes.

3. Control and Analysis Section: Responsible for the custody and handling of seized drugs and substances, as well as the filing, statistics, research, analysis, and use of drug crime enforcement work and other related operations.

In addition, special teams and personnel are assigned to each investigation division, office, and mobile team to fully engage in drug crime enforcement work, including discovering clues and conducting investigations. This structure enhances the Bureau’s ability to conduct mobile anti-drug operations.

III. Drug Identification Work

The Laboratory on Drug Abuse, which is affiliated with the Chemical Forensic Section of the Bureau’s Forensic Science Division has obtained the ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory accreditation (Figure 1). It is responsible for the identification of drugs and new psychoactive substances, including the analysis of seized drugs, clandestine laboratories, urine samples and hair samples. It also provides related technical research, development, and consultation services. passed the ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory certification (Figure 1). It is the most professional drug testing laboratory in Taiwan, offering the most diverse testing scope and the largest handling capacity. It has received international recognition from 118 certification bodies in 118 economies as of May 2025. It is the first drug testing laboratory in Taiwan to receive international certification and the one and only hair identification laboratory with international certification. It frequently handles complex cases commissioned by courts and prosecutors offices at all levels, especially for cases with a history of drug abuse that cannot be detected by a urine test, and assists in the investigation of major crime cases.

In addition, this laboratory actively participates in international cooperation, develops new testing technologies, and works with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Affairs Office of the Bureau on various projects. The Bureau’s laboratory has also trained drug testing personnel from private testing agencies in Taiwan, as well as from countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. This training has been conducted on many occasions to enhance Taiwan’s testing capabilities and promote international cooperation in drug enforcement.

TAF (Taiwan Accreditation Foundation) is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, and the identification results are recognized by all members at the same time.