Release date 2016/12/12 14:12:35 Update date 2019/09/02 09:10:38

Work Overview

I. Focus of Drug Enforcement Efforts

1.Investigation status

In 2018, the Bureau solved a total of 108 cases and apprehended 169 suspects (including 21 foreigners). In particular, 22 cases were investigated from spontaneous discovery and reporting and rest 86 cases were seized by the Customs Administration, Ministry of Finance and transferred to MJIB for investigation. The gross weight (same below) of seizures of the drugs was 15,382.325 kilograms. Twenty drug laboratories were raided, including 4 methamphetamine laboratories, 4 marijuana laboratories, 3 dream coffee drug laboratories, 3 ketamine laboratories, 1 nimetazepam (Erinim) laboratory, 2 ephedrine laboratories, 1 chloropseudoephedrine laboratory, and 2 nitrazepam laboratories. Compared with 2017 (133 cases, apprehended 167 suspects, 3,846.382 kilograms of drugs seized, 2 methamphetamine laboratories, 2 marijuana laboratories, 1 MMA laboratory, 2 dream coffee drug laboratories, 3 ketamine laboratories, and 1 hydroxyimine hydrochloride laboratory), the number of drug cases decreased slightly, while the number of seizures and drug laboratories (by 9) increased significantly.

2.Focus of investigations

The following is the ranking for the number of cases (and the amount of seizure) solved in 2018 in descending order: 29 ketamine cases (9,688.97 kgs), 28 marijuana cases (50.63 kgs), 8 methamphetamine (including solvents) cases (294 kgs), 8 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)8 cases (7.19 kgs), 6 cannabis tinctures cases (2.52 kgs), 5 gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)5 cases (2.16 kgs), 5 pseudoephedrine cases (1,854.33 kgs), 4 nimetazepam cases (936.64 kgs), 2 cocaine cases (4.66 kgs), 2 heroin cases (44.4 kgs), 2 hydroxylimine HCL cases (1,935.72 kgs), 1 coca case (15 kgs), 1 opium poppy case (0.25 kg), 1 3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) case (0.3 kg), 1 Pentylone1 case (2.54 kgs), 1 2C-B hydrochloride case (0.07 kg), 1 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (Methylone, bk-MDMA) case (0.25 kg), 1 chloroethcathinone (CEC) case (102.79 kgs), 1 nitrazepam case (436.99 kgs), and 1 Zolpidem case (1.94 kgs).

List of Drug-related Cases Completed and Drugs Seized by the Bureau in 2018

Schedule

Name of Drug

Number of Case

Percentage (%)

Amount of Seizure (Gram)

Percentage (%)

Schedule-1 Drug

Cocaine

2

1.85

4,657.00

0.03

Heroin

2

1.85

44,400.00

0.29

Schedule-2 Drug

Marijuana

28

25.93

50,628.32

0.33

Cannabis tinctures

6

5.56

2,520.12

0.02

Coca

1

0.93

15,000.00

0.10

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

8

7.41

7,194.00

0.05

Methamphetamine

8

7.41

294,000.20

1.91

Opium poppy

1

0.93

247.00

0.00

Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB)

5

4.63

2,162.57

0.01

3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV)

1

0.93

300.00

0.00

Pentylone

1

0.93

2,539.50

0.02

Schedule-3 Drug

Ketamine

29

26.85

9,688,970.13

62.99

2C-B hydrochloride

1

0.93

67.00

0.00

Nimetazepam

4

3.70

936,635.00

6.09

3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (Methylone, bk-MDMA)

1

0.93

250.00

0.00

Chloroethcathinone (CEC)

1

0.93

102,787.50

0.67

Schedule-4 Drug

Diazepam

0

0.00

987.79

0.01

Nitrazepam

1

0.93

436,991.00

2.84

Zolpidem

1

0.93

1,943.30

0.01

Schedule-4 Drug Precursor

Hydroxylimine HCL

2

1.85

1,935,720.00

12.58

Pseudoephedrine

5

4.63

1,854,325.00

12.05

Total

108

100.00

15,382,325.43

100.00

II. International and Cross-strait Collaboration

Drug-related issues and the continuous spread of drugs have drawn extensive attention from the international communities throughout the world. All nations review drug-related crime as one of the serious threats to public order and regard drug offenses as key targets of investigations and seizures. In view of the gravity of drugs to countries worldwide and cross-border nature of drug-related crimes, drug-related criminal activities cannot be tackled by one country alone. As a result, the global communities have already reached a consensus on international collaboration to combat drug-related crimes. Taiwan is surrounded by water on all sides, and drugs primarily come from outside of its borders. In recent years, situations of narcotics hazard have not been mitigated while working together with the international communities to combat the proliferation of drugs becomes an indispensable part of Taiwan’s anti-drugs efforts, which is also Taiwan’s obligation as a member of the international community.

The Bureau follows government policy directives and the philosophy of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, using the principles of equality, mutual trust, reciprocity, and mutual benefit to actively establish channels of contact and cooperation with equivalent foreign organizations. Today, the Bureau has established contact channels with 27 countries or regions in Europe, America, China, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia. In 2018, the Bureau has already exchanged data for 625 cases with offshore drug enforcements, conducted the work meeting with 71 people through 12 sessions, appointed 2 persons to participate in 2 international meetings, and collaborated in investigation for 8 cases, and apprehended 34 suspects. The Bureau has seized a variety of drugs (heroin, methamphetamine, ketamine, Erimine, and ephedrine) in the amount of 2,770.05 kilograms. In particular, the Bureau collaborated with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand (ONCB) and Fujian Province Drug Control Corps on the investigation of 2 cases, and collaborated with the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division of Royal Malaysia Police (NCID), Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Anti-smuggling Bureau of Xiamen Customs, and Anti-smuggling Bureau of Huangpu Customs on the investigation of 1 case each.

III. Custody and Handling of Drugs

The Bureau has established the drug custody warehouse pursuant to the provisions prescribed in “Regulations Governing the Seized Narcotics Handling Process Control Operations” approved by the Executive Yuan on July 15th, 1993 for collectively custody and handling of all drug exhibits transferred from the seizure by judicial and military agencies. After the promulgation of “Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act” on May 20th, 1998, the aforementioned control operation guidelines were revised to “Regulations Governing the Seized Drugs Handling Process Control Operations.” The previous “narcotics” for custody and handling were revised to the custody and handling of nine items of Schedule 1 Drugs including heroin, morphine and cocaine and the 8 items of drugs such as opium poppy, cocaine and Marijuana as listed in Schedule 2 Drug. Each year, the Bureau cooperates with the “National Anti-Drug Meeting” to destroy the previous drug evidences that have been ruled for disposition, advocating via news media to expand the effectiveness in combat against drugs.