Authorities have busted an alleged drug ring operating in Taipei’s trendy nightclubs frequented by celebrities, well-heeled businesspeople and the expatriate community, and police investigators said they have sufficient evidence to press charges after questioning a number of suspects yesterday.
Taipei police said they had detained Lee Wei-han (李韋翰), 40, and taken him in for questioning as he is the suspected main supplier of the illegal drugs.
Lee, who comes from a wealthy family background and serves as chairman of the residents’ association of a luxury condominium complex in downtown Taipei, is reportedly an active partygoer and frequents some of the city’s popular nightclubs.
Investigators alleged that Lee supplied marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and nimetazepam, which were discovered when police searched his residence, where a suspected list of clients and account ledgers were also found.
He is suspected of procuring the drugs from domestic and foreign sources, and selling them to mostly upscale clients at private parties and nightclubs at weekends.
Police said they had summoned Chiu Yao-cheng (邱耀正), 42, for questioning as his name appeared on Lee’s alleged list of clients.
Chiu is one of the most prominent names in the case, as his father Chiu Chia-hsiung (邱嘉雄) founded Tsan Tai Construction Co, and his mother, Tsai Kuei-chao (蔡貴照), is one of the heirs to Taiwan’s Tsai family business empire, which includes Cathay Financial Holding Co, Cathay United Commercial Bank, Cathay Life Insurance Co and other companies in the family’s Lin Yuan Group.
When questioned by prosecutors, Chiu reportedly said that he started smoking marijuana while living in the US 10 years ago, and that he had bought drugs from Lee in recent years, paying up to NT$100,000 at a time.
Police also said they had summoned other suspects for questioning, including a man surnamed Yang (楊), said to be the owner of Taiwan’s Takasima massage chair and fitness equipment company; a man surnamed Chiang (江), reportedly owner of Taiwan’s authorized agency for the Voda Swim brand of fashion wear; and a man surnamed Lin (林), reportedly a leading photonics company chairman’s son.
Investigators said 41g of marijuana was found at Yang’s residence, which he confessed to have bought from Lee.
Those taken in for questioning on suspicion of purchasing illegal drugs from Lee also allegedly included an executive of JP Morgan Asset Management Co in Taiwan, and an executive of the Taipei office of Deutsche Bank Taiwan, along with several other foreign businesspeople.
Authorities said that in addition to questioning, urinalysis was conducted on the suspects, with test results still pending.
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