Taiwan police bust cross‑gang marijuana smuggling ring

Taiwan’s Third Security Corps, in cooperation with the Customs Administration and multiple local police precincts, intercepted an international parcel from the United States that concealed 928.78 g of marijuana hidden inside shoes, candy and biscuits. The package was retrieved at the airport after investigators linked it to an online romance scam in which a woman using the nickname “Lilin” persuaded a man to collect the parcel and pass it to a gang member.

The operation uncovered a network that combined overseas fraud servers with domestic organized‑crime groups, notably members of the Bamboo Union and Four Seas gangs. Police arrested four suspects on site and later traced and detained upstream members who had arranged the shipment. The seized marijuana, valued at over NT$130 million, could have supplied nearly a thousand users. Authorities warned the public against handling foreign parcels for unknown contacts, emphasizing the severe penalties for drug trafficking.

The case highlights a growing tactic of using emotional deception to enlist ordinary citizens as unwitting couriers for illicit drugs, prompting a continued focus on cross‑agency intelligence sharing to combat similar threats.