Illegal drug laboratories are gradually moving from China to Taiwan, posing a threat to the nation's social order, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Minister Wang Jin-wang (
The phenomenon has become more evident as narcotics investigations and law enforcement get stricter in China, Wang said.
According to Wang, the CGA and the Bureau of Investigation under the Ministry of Justice discovered a drug factory in Tainan County on Sunday, along with 800kg of ketamine worth NT$600 million (US$18.09 million), the biggest single haul of ketamine in Taiwan's history.
The CGA discovered 500kg of smuggled amphetamine and ketamine last year, about half of which was found hidden under the bottom of cars shipped in containers and half packaged as health food discovered at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Wang said.
Wang said the black market for illegal drugs in Taiwan is likely to expand to accommodate class A and class B drug violators that were released after the implementation of the commutation statute last month.
The police are going to investigate whether the released drug violators would increase the demand for drugs and create price hikes, Wang said.
The CGA, the police and the Investigation Bureau will work harder on clampdowns on drug use and smuggling, he said.
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