Taiwan and the US collaborated in intercepting nearly 180 tonnes of kratom bound for the US earlier this year, officials told a news conference yesterday.
In April, the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the Customs Administration were alerted that container ships departing from Jakarta containing large amounts of kratom would stop at the Port of Kaohsiung before heading to Los Angeles and Miami.
Kratom, an herbal supplement that is often used for recreational purposes due to its opioid properties, is a Category 3 narcotic in Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
People caught manufacturing, transporting or selling a Category 3 narcotic face a jail sentence of at least seven years and can also be fined up to NT$10 million (US$313,136).
Although it is not regulated federally in the US, it is illegal in six states and several cities.
Prosecutor Yu Yen-chieh (尤彥傑) told the news conference that one of the containers unloaded at the port on April 4 contained 1,080 cartons of kratom.
After opening six more containers from Indonesia, customs officers found a total of 7,535 boxes of kratom, with an estimated street value of more than NT$36.3 billion, Yu said.
Officials called it the largest case involving drugs transiting Taiwan bound for the US.
Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said that he hoped Taiwan and the US could continue to enhance collaborations on combating cross-border drug trafficking.
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