A raid on a “cannabis factory” in New Taipei City’s Wugu District (五股) led to the confiscation of 120 cannabis plants and the arrest of one man, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Friday.
A well-known tattoo artist Chen Chien-hsun (陳建勳), 47, would be charged with contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), First Investigation Corps captain Ko Chih-jen (柯志仁) told a news conference.
“Chen had quite a large operation inside his place... We estimate the total market value was more than NT$1 million [US$32,415],” Ko said.
State-of-the-art equipment, including temperature, humidity, water-quality and lighting controls, as well as a grinding device, vacuum packaging and drying machines, was found at the site, Ko said.
Chen had installed surveillance cameras outside in an effort to monitor people coming and going from the building and avoid the police, Ko said.
During questioning, Chen told investigators that he had bought the equipment and cannabis seeds online from suppliers in other nations, Ko said.
He allegedly told police during the raid that he was sorry the plants had not matured so he could sell them, Ko added.
Chen has a police record.
He was convicted 10 years ago on cannabis possession charges, Ko said
According to Chinese-language media reports, Chen was one of five people arrested in August last year after six gunshots were fired during a highway car chase. The five were charged with attempted murder and contravening the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例).
In related news, Kaohsiung police said they charged two people on Thursday with cannabis possession after a 19-year-old woman collapsed on a street and had to be resuscitated.
The teen, surnamed Huang (黃), and her 28-year-old boyfriend, surnamed Lee (李), had allegedly smoked a joint at Lee’s home before going outside, the police report said.
Huang fainted near an intersection and Lee gave her CPR, aided by a police officer who was on patrol and who called 119, the report said.
Paramedics took Huang to a local hospital, where Lee allegedly told the medical staff that the couple had smoked a joint.
Police searched his residence and reportedly found a pouch containing cannabis, the report said.
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