The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it detained four Chinese and seized their vessel in a drug bust earlier this month that uncovered more than 700kg of narcotics.
During a Sept. 13 surveillance mission involving the Southern Sector Flotilla, the 4th Offshore Flotilla and the 11th Coastal Patrol Corps, officers intercepted a fishing vessel flying the Republic of China flag about 128 nautical miles (237km) off Cape Maobitou in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春), the CGA said in a statement.
The vessel had switched off its automatic identification system, it said.
Photo: CNA
When ordered to stop for inspection, it sped away, leading to an hour-long chase during which it rammed one of the patrol vessels and zigzagged to evade capture, coast guard footage showed.
The ship, identified as the Cambodian-registered YAMA68, was eventually intercepted and boarded.
Officers found 48 bags of narcotics in a hidden compartment, including 10 bags of heroin weighing 209.3kg, 36 bags of cannabis weighing 472.39kg, one bag of methamphetamine weighing 18.2kg and one bag of nimetazepam weighing 18.3kg, the coast guard said.
The 718.19kg of narcotics had an estimated street value of more than NT$1.5 billion (US$49.6 million) — enough for nearly 2.5 million doses, it said.
CGA Tainan Reconnaissance Brigade deputy head Hsu Che-li (許哲理) said the YAMA68 was sailing toward the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙島) in the South China Sea and was believed to be en route to rendezvous with another vessel to offload the shipment before the drugs would be sold in Taiwan.
The captain and three crew members, all Chinese, have been detained on suspicion of contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
They are being held incommunicado as the Tainan District Prosecutors Office investigates, Hsu said.
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