National Police Agency officials yesterday presented the results of nationwide sweeps on seven factories that allegedly produced firearms illegally.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) coordinated with local law enforcement units to monitor the sites as the raids were planned, with the operations conducted over the past few weeks, the agencies said.
CIB Deputy Director Lin Yen-tien (林炎田) said the operations aimed to seize illegal firearms and detain people involved in their production to mitigate violence, deter criminal activities and preserve social order ahead of the legislative and presidential elections in January.
The CIB displayed 93 firearms — 15 air guns, 76 modified handguns and rifles, and two standard handguns — as well as ammunition, all of which he said were made at the factories that were raided.
Seventy-five people had been questioned and face charges of contravening the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act (槍砲彈藥刀械管制條例), Lin said.
In an operation in Taichung, three people were detained at a factory in the city, with a man surnamed Fu (傅) allegedly in charge of the facility, Lin said.
Five modified handguns and one air gun were seized, along with lathes, drills and other equipment used to modify airsoft weapons so they can fire conventional ammunition, he said.
The raids also targeted illegal lending, with 159 people detained on suspicion of heading loan shark operations or working in them, while 148 people were questioned over loans or transactions allegedly made at the unauthorized financial establishments, he said.
Meanwhile, CIB officials on Thursday announced the results of a raid at a building in New Taipei City, where a 21-year-old man surnamed Fan (范) allegedly produced and packaged synthetic drugs.
Fan allegedly packaged synthetic drugs in pouches known as “narcotic coffee powder,” police said, adding that he used US President Donald Trump’s image as branding, with the slogan: “The party is great again.”
Chemicals to make cathinones and other synthetic drugs were seized along with 560 pouches and 1,526 Erimin pills, police said.
Fan denied sourcing the chemicals or producing drugs, saying that he only provided a place for his friends to store their property and did not know what was there, police said.
Fan faces charges of breaching provisions of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), police said.
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