Twenty-six service personnel, including one officer, have tested positive for illicit drug use, the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday, as authorities continued their investigation into several packages believed to contain amphetamines that were found at the Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung on Monday.
A total of 51 pouches were found at the base and 26 people — up from 20 on Thursday — tested positive for drug use, the office said.
The positive urine samples were sent to Tri-Service General Hospital for secondary testing to confirm the results, the office added.
About 2,500 enlisted personnel and officers at the base have been tested, but about 300 have not either because they are on leave or away on duty, Taichung deputy chief prosecutor Kuo Ching-tung (郭景東) said, adding that they would be required to undergo a urinalysis in the coming days.
Kuo said one ingestion device was found along with the 51 pouches, which totaled about 50g.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Cheng De-mei (鄭德美) yesterday confirmed that one mid-level air force officer — a major — was among the 26.
“A second test is necessary because a positive result could also be due to the ingestion of medicine for a cold or pain relief. We ask the public not to speculate too much at this time,” he said.
Local media reports said that conspiracy theories ranging from political blackmail to an attempt to frame someone by planting evidence of a crime have been rife as the case continues to baffle officials.
Some have raised questions over why no witnesses have come forward and a lack of video footage of people dropping off the drug packages.
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.
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS