Authorities in Malaysia and Taiwan disrupt smuggling and drug manufacturing networks

Authorities in Malaysia and Taiwan have conducted major operations targeting smuggling and drug manufacturing.

In Sabah, Malaysia, the Marine Police District 4 and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission launched joint raids on September 14 and 15. The operations in Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu resulted in the seizure of untaxed cigarettes and beer valued at approximately 5.37 million ringgit. In Sandakan, police discovered 3.55 million smuggled cigarettes and seized several boats and a truck. In Kota Kinabalu, over 43,000 cans of suspected smuggled beer were recovered.

In Taiwan, a joint task force including the Hsinchu City Police and the Coast Guard Administration dismantled a third-class drug manufacturing facility. The lab, located in an industrial zone in Taoyuan, utilized the chemical odors from a neighboring plastic factory to mask the smell of production. Authorities seized 42.84 kilograms of the drug ‘Meow Meow’ and 60 kilograms of precursor materials. It is estimated the seized materials could have produced 100,000 packets of ‘drug coffee’ with a market value exceeding 50 million TWD.