The head of gang caught trafficking 887.93kg of ketamine in northern Taiwan in July last year has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, the Keelung District Court ruled yesterday.
The court sentenced gang leader Tsao Chun-te (曹俊德) for contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) by attempting to smuggle the Category 3 narcotics into Taiwan for personal gain of NT$2 million (US$60,961).
The court said in a statement that Tsao was to coordinate the transportation of the drugs in Taiwan, while his partner, Lai Chi-hsin (賴基鑫), picked up the shipment from a fishing boat about 3 nautical miles (5.56km) off Dongao Fishing Harbor (東澳漁港) in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) at about 1am on July 8.
Photo: Lin Chia-tung, Taipei Times
The court did not disclose further information about the source of the drugs, adding only that they were transported by another fishing vessel.
Tsao, Lai and 14 other suspects were apprehended by the Coast Guard Administration’s Keelung Investigation Branch at about 1:40am as they attempted to load the drugs onto trucks.
Another two members of the gang, including Tsao’s son, Tsao Wei-en (曹偉恩), were arrested in August and September.
None of the trafficked drugs entered the market.
Most gang members received reduced sentences of three-and-a-half years to six-and-a-half years after pleading guilty, while Tsao Chun-te and Lai, who received a nine-year sentence, were given harsher penalties for changing their testimony during the investigation, the statement said.
Similarly, Tsai Chia-chun (蔡佳純), who acted as a lookout, but refused to plead guilty, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The ruling can be appealed.
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