Police yesterday warned against new forms of synthetic drugs and the dangers of mixing them as they stepped up controls on illegal drugs.
New Taipei City police officers last week carried out nighttime spot checks at Internet cafes and entertainment venues in Banciao District (板橋).
During a check at an Internet cafe, one of the patrons, a man surnamed Chang (張), became nervous when asked about the contents of his tote bag, Jiangcui Police Chief Fang Wen-chun (方文村) said.
Police found pouches containing five different kinds of illegal drugs in Chang’s bag, Fang said, adding that the 35-year-old had prior drug convictions and would be charged.
Preliminary testing showed the pouches contained cannabis, MDMA — commonly known as ecstasy — amphetamine, nimetazepam and a new pink-colored MDMA-derived synthetic drug, commonly known as “plum tablets” in Taiwan, Fang said.
During questioning, Chang said that he had intended to mix the drugs to get high while playing video games, police said.
In related news, Taoyuan police acting on a tip-off yesterday detained a suspect surnamed Hsu (許), who was allegedly caught in the act of selling amphetamine to two people on a stairwell.
All three were detained for questioning, officer Chen Chien-hao (陳建豪) said.
Police found two pouches weighing 18g each on the stairwell and a preliminary test showed that they contained amphetamine powder, Chen said, adding that background checks revealed that all three suspects had prior drug convictions.
Police said that Hsu, 36, had a drug supplier and was selling amphetamine to the two men, and that all three would be charged with contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
Meanwhile, Taichung authorities on Saturday said they had reason to believe that two men who were found dead in an apartment the previous day had died of drug overdoses.
Neighbors had called the police to open the apartment’s door after noticing a foul odor coming from the inside, police said.
Officers found the bodies of the men, surnamed Lin (林), 56, and Lee (李), 62, in the apartment, they said.
A preliminary investigation ruled out foul play, as there were no signs of fighting or external injuries, police said, adding that they did not find any or evidence of gas poisoning or suicide.
However, they found two pairs of needles and syringes, police added.
Investigators on Saturday said samples were taken from the residues inside the syringes, adding that it is likely that the men, who also had prior drug convictions, died after injecting themselves with a mix of synthetic drugs.
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
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
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
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS