A suspected drug ring allegedly involving migrant workers has been uncovered by Taichung police, who are seeking to indict two Thai men for trafficking in amphetamine and cannabis.
The suspected ring leader is a 41-year-old Thai named “Surat,” whom they put under surveillance after receiving a tip-off about illegal drug buys, police said.
Officers from Fengyuan District (豐原) Precinct’s criminal investigation unit raided Surat’s residence late last month, where they reportedly discovered 17.3g of amphetamines and 5.2 grams of cannabis, NT$12,000 and a ledger with names and transactions.
Fengyuan precinct Deputy Chief Chiang Ming-ho (江明河) said officers arrested Surat and a 21-year-old Thai worker who was allegedly at the residence to buy drugs.
Police yesterday said that they would press charges against the two men for contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
Surat is a well-known figure among the migrant worker community in the Taichung area because he has worked there for more than 10 years via previous work placements and contract renewals, and had made many connections, police said.
Investigators said they learned that other migrant workers would turn to Surat for guidance and other assistance when they encountered problems in dealing with employers or wage disputes, and for other issues such as money transfers or buying cellphones.
Surat allegedly told investigators during questioning that he sought to make some extra money by taking advantage of his connections with other migrant workers and began to sell amphetamines in February, Chiang said.
Surat said that he was only the middleman, as a Taiwanese friend sold him amphetamines in small pouches, while the cannabis plants were grown from seeds provided by another Thai worker, Chiang said.
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