TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Media reported on Tuesday (Nov. 26) that authorities intercepted a Norwegian man's attempt to smuggle marijuana into Taiwan during a September transit. The Aviation Police Bureau (航空警察局) stated that the suspect faces charges under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
Taipei Customs (台北關) and the Aviation Police Bureau discovered the drugs while screening checked luggage with X-ray technology. They found 50 packages of marijuana weighing 25.5104 kilograms in the man's suitcase. The man traveled from Bangkok, Thailand, to London, U.K., with a stopover in Taiwan, where he entered Taipei's Xinyi District (信義區) for a night of revelry.
The Aviation Police Bureau noted that the man claimed the drugs were not his personal belongings. However, airline check-in records and surveillance footage confirmed the luggage was checked under his name. The bureau emphasized that marijuana is a Category Two controlled substance in Taiwan, which carries a sentence of 10 years to life in prison.
Authorities pledged to enhance border drug detection capabilities to prevent criminal organizations from exploiting transit opportunities. The Aviation Police Bureau remains vigilant in its efforts to stop drug trafficking at Taiwan's borders.