Two men face charges of drug possession and trafficking after police found cannabis plants, so-called “narcotic coffee powder” and other illegal synthetic drugs in a raid in Miaoli County.
Officials said they found a cannabis growing operation at a residence belonging to a 35-year-old man surnamed Hu (胡).
Police seized five live plants, 16 dried plants, 494 cannabis seeds and 12.85g of dried cannabis flowers, the Miaoli Police Bureau said yesterday.
They also seized amphetamine, ketamine in “narcotic coffee powder” packages, ecstasy and Nimetazepam (Erimin), as well as scales for weighing and packaging equipment.
Hu is being accused of selling dried cannabis products and other illegal synthetic drugs.
Hu allegedly made NT$2.58 million (US$83,057) in the past five months by selling drugs, investigators said, citing seized ledgers and telecommunication records.
Several months ago, police received a tip-off about Hu’s illicit activities and placed him under surveillance, and found that Hu had enlisted the help of a man surnamed Hsu (徐) to meet with potential buyers and transport the drugs.
Miaoli prosecutors said that after questioning the suspects and examining the evidence they plan to press charges against Hu and Hsu for possessing and trafficking illegal drugs in contravention of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
During questioning, Hu admitted to cultivating cannabis plants, but said that they were for his own use and denied selling them, police said.
Hsu also denied selling drugs, saying all the drugs had came from Hu.
Police in Taoyuan also seized about 200 cannabis plants last week at a residence owned by a man surnamed Kang (康).
Taoyuan prosecutors said that the cannabis products in Kang’s possession had an estimated value of more than NT$100 million.
Prosecutors presented the seized cannabis plants as evidence, along with cultivation equipment, which included water sprinklers, temperature and humidity control equipment and electric fans.
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