Three people arrested earlier this year for growing cannabis plants with an estimated street value of nearly NT$20 million (US$652,507) in Chiayi County earlier this year could be sentenced to life in prison for breaching the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), Taichung police said yesterday.
A couple, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and suspect surnamed Hsu (徐) were found cultivating 91 cannabis plants on a farm in the county after law enforcement agents raided the site in the middle of January when they were about to harvest the field, Taichung police told a news conference.
Taichung police said they were tipped off last year by a member of the public and initiated an investigation.
Photo courtesy of Taichung police
They found that the husband, 45, and his wife, 47, both of whom had no agriculture-related background, were purchasing cannabis seeds from overseas and equipment to cultivate cannabis plants from a Web site.
Suspecting the Tsais might be engaged in the planting and sale of marijuana, Taichung police raided the farm in the county’s Puzi City (朴子), where they seized 91 potted cannabis plants, as well as cultivating utensils, culture medium and growing lamps.
Hsu, 48, who helped look after the plants on the remote farm, was also detained, the police said.
An initial police investigation indicated that the couple most likely learned cannabis cultivation techniques on the Internet and planned to sell marijuana products.
The case has been transferred to the Taichung District Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation. The suspects remain in custody.
All three face the prospect of life in prison or sentences of more than 10 years and a maximum fine of NT$15 million, police said.
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