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Police arrest drug users in Kenting

Police search a girl's purse at the Spring Scream music festival in Kenting, Pingtung County yesterday. PHOTO: CNA

Police yesterday arrested dozens for possession or use of narcotics on the sidelines of the annual Spring Scream music festival in Kenting (墾丁).

“Early [yesterday] morning in a remote hotel in Manchou Township [滿州], 31 individuals were caught using drugs,” Pingtung Police Department director Chen Chia-chin (陳家欽) said. “Because of the large number of offenders, police had to dispatch a bus to take them to a police station,” Chen said.

The substances seized were MDMA, erinim pills and ketamine, he said.

Chen said that at another small hotel in Hengchun Township (恆春) yesterday morning, 12 individuals from Taipei were also found to be taking erinim, ketamine as well as marijuana.

Chen said the people arrested would be charged with violation of the Narcotics Endangerment Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).

The Spring Scream festival was founded by two foreign musicians 1995 to encourage the development of independent bands and original music.

This year, about 250 mostly local bands were invited to perform in the three-day program.

The annual event has attracted tens of thousands of tourists and been a substantial boon to local merchants, said Shi Jin-fang (施錦芳), director of the Kenting National Park Administration Office (KNPAO).

Police in Pingtung dispatch large numbers of officers every year to monitor the event and enforce drug prevention.

In addition to Spring Scream, seven music festivals were also organized at the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島).

Tens of thousands headed for Kenting over the weekend to attend the festivals.

KNPAO said that while the events boost the economy, they also result in environmental damage in the national park. About 200,000 people gathered at the Hengchun Peninsula during the festivals last year.
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