A Taichung man was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of heading an international drug smuggling operation from Taiwan to Japan, the Taichung District Court said in a ruling.
Hsieh Pai-cheng (謝百城) was convicted for directing an operation that involved smuggling narcotics by concealing 340kg of amphetamine inside the rims of car wheels that were shipped to Japan, reportedly worth NT$5.5 billion (US$169.49 million at the current exchange rate).
Hsieh was sentenced to life in prison for contravening Article 4 of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防治條例), which states that offenders who produce, transport or sell category 2 narcotics face a minimum of 10 years in prison to a maximum of life imprisonment.
Photo copied by Chiu Chun-fu, Taipei Times
The judge cited the large amount of amphetamine seized, the tainting of Taiwan’s international image — as the smuggling operation was uncovered by Japanese authorities — and Hsieh’s previous criminal conviction as reasons for handing him the maximum penalty for the offense.
Hsieh allegedly began his plan in 2017, financing the operation and paying six ring members, including a deputy surnamed Yang, to pack amphetamine powder into separate flattened packages and conceal them inside the aluminum rim of car wheels, the ruling said.
Hsieh then allegedly instructed Yang to source the rims in Taiwan, rent a warehouse for the operation, and to arrange shipping with a customs broker firm to “export automotive parts to Japan,” the ruling said.
Meanwhile, Hsieh instructed another aide, surnamed Hsu (徐), to prepare for the smuggling operation in Japan by renting a warehouse at the Port of Nagoya, arrange for the drugs’ transport and storage, and link up with Japanese criminals, it said.
After the preparations, the cargo of “automotive parts” was loaded on a freight ship at the Port of Taichung in September 2018, arriving some weeks later at Nagoya.
Hsieh then paid for the flights of Yang and two other ring members to Nagoya to collect the cargo, carrying the export license and shipping documents, it said.
Someone found out about the smuggling operation and informed the Japanese authorities, who carried out a raid on Oct. 4.
The authorities apprehended Hsu and two other Taiwanese who were opening amphetamine pouches at a warehouse in Nagoya.
Yang, who was not in the warehouse at the time, fled to Taiwan the next day and conferred with Hsieh. The two men fled to Vietnam to evade Taiwanese authorities.
After two years in Vietnam, Yang returned to Taiwan in 2020 and was arrested when he went back to his family residence in Changhua City, as Japanese authorities had informed Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau about the smuggling case and issued a wanted bulletin for those involved.
The bureau tracked down and arrested Hsieh in August last year, leading to his prosecution and conviction.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS