Authorities yesterday arrested six Taiwanese suspected of involvement in an international drug-smuggling ring, accusing them of attempting to send amphetamines to Japan hidden in canned fruit.
After being questioned by prosecutors, the six were placed in detention pending charges according to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said the operation was allegedly headed by Tsang Yen-tung (臧炎通), 61.
The group allegedly tried to export 108 cans labeled as containing Yujin mangoes, a premium export from Tainan’s Yujin District (玉井).
CIB Tainan Office deputy chief Lee Ming-yin (李明印) said that Tsang is of Taiwanese-Japanese parentage, is a Japanese citizen and is suspected of having connections to the Japanese yakuza.
“Taiwanese underworld gangsters have long wanted to engage in drug-smuggling to Japan, because they can make 10 times the profit on sales of illegal drugs in the Japanese market compared with Taiwan,” Lee said. “They are willing to take the risk for the high profits.”
The cans were put in nine cartons and delivered to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Tuesday last week, prosecutors said.
CIB officials said they placed Tsang and his alleged associates under surveillance after a tip-off.
Upon intercepting the shipment, officials found 20kg of amphetamine packed in pouches with an estimated street value in Japan of NT$44.61 million (US$1.38 million).
Lee said that officials arrested two men at the airport — surnamed Lee (李) and Lan (藍) — who prosecutors said were members of Tsang’s gang and were to accompany the shipment.
Police and CIB officials apprehended Tsang and three others in New Taipei City.
Investigators were trying to determine where the amphetamines were produced and the supply route, adding that they have opened up channels of cooperation with counterparts in Japan to crack down on drug-smuggling operations.
Eight regional drug rings in Japan connected to the yakuza had placed orders with Tsang’s gang, prosecutors said, adding that Japanese police would conduct an investigation at their end.
Tainan residents and local government officials condemned the gang over its alleged use of Yujin mangoes to smuggle drugs, because the name is popular with Japanese consumers and is an important source of export revenue for fruit farmers.
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