The government is to allocate NT$15 billion (US$508.3 million) over the next four years to combat the use of illegal drugs in Taiwan, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of the Cabinet, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) announced the government’s five major policy guidelines on anti-narcotics crackdown over the next four years.
First, with up to 80 percent of the drugs seized by judicial authorities coming from abroad, cross-border cooperation on drug investigation is to be enhanced, Su said, adding that keeping drugs out of Taiwan is the key.
Increased rewards for solving international drug trafficking cases would be given, but only to police who can locate the upstream drug sources, he said.
“No source traced, no rewards given,” he said.
More new technological equipment for drug tracing would be given to authorities, he said.
Second, authorities are to take full measures to prevent drugs from spreading domestically, and keep the flow of potential materials of certain drugs under strict surveillance, he said.
For example, a database of the flow of imported chemicals would be set up to track where they end up being used, while printing companies possibly involved in making the packaging of new and emerging drugs would be put on the watch list or investigated, he said.
Business locations with high risks of drug use should enhance education, prevention and reporting of drug use, Su said, adding that law enforcement would show no leniency for business owners who help conceal the use of drugs at their premises.
Third, the government is to continue to expand the spectrum of target analytes to bolster the drug detection capabilities of law enforcement and civic organizations, he said.
Fourth, to reduce drug recidivism rates, the government is to step up efforts on deferred prosecution programs and individual treatment plans for drug offenders, he said.
The government would continue to promote using buprenorphine as an alternative to methadone, he added.
Fifth, concerned departments and civic organizations are to collaborate on raising public awareness about the dangers of drugs, conducting anti-drug campaigns in local communities and schools, he said.
The Executive Yuan would follow the “three reductions” anti-drug strategies announced by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), which are reductions on drug supply, demand and damage, Minister Without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office is to be the central contact window to coordinate relevant efforts and collect intelligence, Lo said.
The Ministry of Justice said that it would quickly amend relevant laws for narcotics officials to be equipped with devices useful for drug investigations, and ensure that individual treatment plans are well executed to help drug offenders return to normal life.
The Juvenile Justice Act (少年事件處理法) would also be amended to allow courts and administrative agencies to establish a contact mechanism for drug-using juveniles, the ministry added.
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