More suspected packages of what are believed to be amphetamines were yesterday discovered on Chingchuankang (清泉崗) Air Base in Taichung, with 20 people testing positive for the prohibited substances.
A total of 51 such packages weighing a total of about 50g have been found on the base since Monday, when authorities announced the discovery of 27 bags, the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office said.
An initial analysis suggested that the drugs were amphetamines, head prosecutor Hsieh Chih-ming (謝志明) said, adding that further analysis would be conducted.
The drugs were found scattered across a 2km strip of road that runs past a dormitory, a basketball court, a garage, a runway, an office complex and a hangar, Hsieh said, adding that each bag resembled “retail packaging” commonly seen in drugs sold on streets.
Base-wide drug testing was being conducted, with about 87 percent of 3,000 enlisted personnel and officers having provided urine samples, among which 20 tested positive for amphetamine use, Air Force Command Headquarters said.
The positive urine samples were sent to Tri-Service General Hospital for secondary testing, as the initial screening process was less accurate and the 20 might have falsely tested positive, Hsieh said.
The discovery of such a large quantity of drugs in plain sight has given rise to speculation that they were intentionally placed on the base so that the facility’s leadership would be blamed, while authorities were also entertaining a drug dealing dispute theory.
Minister of National Defense Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) said that he was deeply concerned about the matter, but admitted that drug abuse occurs in the military.
“Prohibited substances are absolutely banned in the military, but if you ask me whether there are drug users in the armed forces, [I have to say] there are,” Feng said.
The incident is being taken seriously, because the Ministry of National Defense strictly prohibits drunk driving and substance abuse by military personnel, he said, adding that violators would receive a dishonorable discharge.
In addition to the ongoing drug testing, all branches of the armed forces must take precautionary measures to stem drug abuse, Feng said.
The drugs might have been smuggled onto the base by a single individual, and security would be increased to prevent such incidents, he added.
Separately, Premier Lin Chuan (林全) yesterday asked the Ministry of Justice to overhaul the nation’s drug abuse prevention policy.
The government must revise its drug prevention policy, as new types of drugs have been created and drug abuse has become a growing issue on school campuses, Lin said.
Educational campaigns are to be launched in a month to teach students about new types of drugs made to resemble snacks, he added.
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