The Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday indicted three men for contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) in connection with packages containing cannabis buds and products made from cannabis that were mailed from Canada.
Two brothers, Lin Meng-liang (林孟良), 41, and Lin Meng-han (林孟函), 39, and a neighbor and friend, Lin Wei-yi (林維屹), 36, were indicted for allegedly colluding to smuggle cannabis and derived products from Canada, prosecutor Hung Chia-yeh (洪佳業) said.
Lin Meng-han, who immigrated to Canada and obtained Canadian citizenship a few years ago, has not been arrested, as he remains in Canada, the office said.
Photo: Yang Cheng-chun, Taipei Times
However, on a visit to his family in August last year, he allegedly discussed with his elder brother and their neighbor ways of sending cannabis products to Taiwan, it said.
During questioning, Lin Meng-liang and Lin Wei-yi allegedly told officials that they believed there was a big demand in Taiwan for cannabis, so they made plans for Lin Meng-han to supply them, as it would be easy for him to find cannabis products in Canada, the office said.
Customs officials opened an investigation in October last year after a parcel from Canada labeled as containing 10 packages of popcorn was inspected and found to contain 12kg of cannabis buds.
The package was addressed to Lin Meng-liang, and when investigators went to arrest him, he allegedly told authorities that previous packages mailed by his brother from Canada had contained popcorn and other snack items, the office said.
A review of Lin Meng-liang’s telephone records and financial dealings indicated that he had been engaged in the trafficking and sale of cannabis products in Taiwan, and earning an estimated NT$3.82 million (US$123,685), which prosecutors seized, Hung said.
A review of postal records indicated that Lin Meng-han had sent 30kg of cannabis buds from Canada in September last year, with the packages mailed to a Taichung hotel address for his brother to pick up to minimize the risk, the office said.
Packages mailed in October reportedly contained cannabis lotion, cannabis sweets and cannabis oil for e-cigarettes, the office said, citing Lin Meng-liang as telling investigators that they had “imported the items from Canada, to test Taiwanese underground market’s acceptance of these cannabis products.”
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