Seizures of ketamine have been on the rise in recent years, with 3,795kg confiscated in the first seven months of this year alone, the High Prosecutors’ Office said on Tuesday.
Law enforcement seized 9,916.4kg of illicit drugs in total throughout last year, the office told a news conference in Taipei on recent trends in drug use.
In the first seven months of this year, 5,643.2kg had been seized, up 268.1kg from the same period last year, it said, speculating that demand has increased since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
Ketamine is classified as a Category 3 narcotic, meaning its manufacture, transport, sale, transfer and possession of more than 5g are criminal offenses.
Use and possession of less than 5g is punishable by a fine of NT$20,000 to NT$50,000, in addition to six to eight hours of a narcotics hazard seminar, the office said.
Seizures of ketamine were up 162 percent annually in the first seven months, from 1,446.1kg to 3,795.2kg, prosecutor Chao Yen-li (趙燕利) said.
Seizures of the raw materials to make ketamine have also increased, reflecting increasing demand for the drug, Chao said.
Younger people are more likely to use ketamine, with 238 cases of student use or possession reported from January to June, up 15.5 percent annually, Chao said, citing National Police Agency data.
Law enforcement are implementing a number of strategies to address drug use, including strengthening online surveillance, community and school reporting networks, and age-appropriate education, Chao added.
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