Police yesterday issued a warning about the dangers of using synthetic cannabinoids, after suspects were arrested for allegedly producing and selling the substance online.
Police said they are worried about young people becoming addicted to synthetic cannabinoids, which are designed to produce similar effects to cannabis, but are much more toxic.
Excessive consumption can result in damage to the brain, loss of coordination, a lack of concentration, respiratory tract degeneration and death.
Taipei and Taoyuan officers on Friday last week raided a residence in Taoyuan owned by a man surnamed Tsao (曹), police officials told a news briefing on Tuesday.
Tsao collaborated with Chinese gangs, who shipped him the ingredients for synthetic cannabinoids via Hong Kong to Taiwan.
Tsao sold the drug online, saying it had a “stronger effect than smoking cannabis,” police said.
Police found 2kg of chemicals from China, along with just more than 900g of synthetic cannabinoids at Tsao’s residence, while four other people believed to be part of his ring were caught, said Huang Li-heng (黃立恆), captain of the Taipei City Police Department’s narcotics investigation unit.
The investigation began earlier this year, when police noticed online advertisements for “legal synthetic drugs” that said: “Ingesting it will immediately make you feel like being in Holland,” Huang said.
In July, police arrested a dealer surnamed Lo (羅), then tracked down other members of the ring, until they located a factory in Taoyuan allegedly operated by Tsao, Huang said.
From all of the arrests, police obtained 120 pouches of synthetic cannabinoids at an estimated street value of NT$20 million (US$652,273), Huang said.
He said that police are finding more synthetic drugs in nightclubs and entertainment venues.
Dealers are taking advantage of the law, as synthetic cannabinoids are as strong as class 2 narcotics, but are currently classed as class 3 narcotics, so offenders are punished less severely, Huang said.
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