I. Chiayi District Prosecutors Office Prosecutor Huang Tian-yi Spearheads Anti-Drug Crackdown

Prosecutor Huang Tian-yi of the Chiayi District Prosecutors Office recently concluded an investigation and instituted public prosecution against a drug trafficking syndicate, transferring the case to the court on May 25, 2026. This followed an extensive period of meticulous evidence gathering and rigorous investigative maneuvers. Prosecutor Huang directed a specialized task force comprising the Chiayi Task Force of the Coast Guard Administration's Investigative Branch, the Minxiong Division of the Chiayi County Police Bureau, the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Chiayi City Police Bureau, and the Second Division of the Chiayi City Police Bureau. Armed with search warrants granted by the court, Prosecutor Huang coordinated with fellow law enforcement agencies to launch three waves of comprehensive, targeted sweeps. The operation successfully dismantled a multi-county, hybrid, vertically integrated drug supply chain hidden within locations such as an automotive body repair shop and a car wash:

• First Wave of Searches: Defendants Tsai ○-hsiu and Zheng ○-peng were apprehended for trafficking drugs under the guise of an automotive body repair shop. Law enforcement seized 8 grams of marijuana, 1 etomidate vape cartridge, 678.01 grams of ketamine, 284 bags of instant drug coffee mixes, and packaging equipment including money counters and heat sealers.

• Second Wave of Searches: Investigators discovered that the syndicate showed no remorse after the first raid and instead expanded its organization by partnering with upstream suppliers Chen ○-hsien, Chang ○-yu, and others. Pressing their advantage, the task force seized 43 grams of marijuana, 37.56 grams of ketamine, 1,231 bags of instant drug coffee mixes, 1,027 rainbow cigarettes, 516.97 grams of "cantaloupe" tablets, 7,061.29 grams of cathinone and powder, NT$562,419 in cash, and confiscated 3 passenger vehicles involved in the case (one of which is currently being auctioned off to liquidate its value).

• Third Wave of Searches: Working tirelessly day and night, the task force traced the illicit network further and uncovered an additional transaction. On February 14, 2026, Tseng ○-chu (spouse of Chen ○-wen) and Lu ○-jun sold 200 bags of instant drug coffee mixes, 5,000 grams of cathinone, and 2 large bottles of "green apple" tablets (approximately 20,000 pills) to a drug user, Liao ○-chih, for NT$300,000.

In total, this operation netted multiple suspects, including co-conspirators and drug users. Cumulative seizures totaled approximately 51 grams of marijuana, etomidate vape cartridges, over 700 grams of ketamine, over 1,500 bags of instant drug coffee mixes (exceeding 6,000 grams), over 7,000 grams of cathinone-class narcotics, over 1,000 rainbow cigarettes, over 500 grams of "cantaloupe" tablets, over NT$600,000 in cash, and 3 vehicles used as instruments of crime. The operation successfully crushed the upstream and downstream operations of the trafficking ring, effectively blocking the flow of narcotics into society.

II. Summary of Criminal Facts and Legal Violations

The defendants, Tsai ○-hsiu and Zheng ○-peng, operated with a highly organized division of labor. In the initial phase, they established an automotive body repair shop to mask their possession of a vast quantity of narcotics. Showing no remorse after the initial police search, they expanded their organization by integrating into the drug networks of Chen ○-hsien, Tseng ○-chu, Chang ○-yu, and others. The upstream suppliers took over operations, while Tsai ○-hsiu handled procurement, Zheng ○-peng conducted face-to-face transactions with drug users, and Tsai ○-hsiu’s spouse, Tsai ○-wen, served as the accountant to reconcile ledgers. Additionally, a violent "thief-robbing-thief" incident spun off from the operation: due to an unpaid balance for narcotics, Chen ○-hsien instructed accomplices to abduct and beat the drug user Liao ○-chih with wooden clubs, forcibly robbing him of cathinone.

Defendants Tsai ○-hsiu, Zheng ○-peng, Chen ○-hsien, Chang ○-yu, Tseng ○-chu, and Lu ○-jun have all been publicly indicted in accordance with the law for offenses including trafficking Category 2 and Category 3 narcotics under Article 4, and possession of Category 3 narcotics with intent to sell under Article 5 of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

III. Precision Enforcement by Prosecutors and Status of Compulsory Measures

• Severe Prosecution and Expanded Forfeiture of Criminal Proceeds: Regarding the defendants' multiple instances of transferring ketamine and rainbow cigarettes to others for consumption without charge, the prosecutor adhered to the principle of "the heavier law overrides the lighter law" under the doctrine of concurrence of laws. The charges were elevated to the more severe offense of transferring counterfeit drugs under Article 83, Paragraph 1 of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. For the remaining narcotics that were "not yet sold but continuously possessed," the prosecutor precisely cited the latest Supreme Court precedent, requesting the court to impose separate punishments for each offense to be served consecutively. Furthermore, regarding large sums of unexplained cash under the defendants' names that were grossly disproportionate to their legitimate financial capacity, the prosecutor applied for expanded asset forfeiture to thoroughly sever their illicit underground financial lifelines.

• Core Members Remanded to Court for Continued Detention: During the second wave of searches, Prosecutor Huang Tian-yi filed a motion to detain the four defendants: Chang ○-yu, Chen ○-hsien, Tsai ○-hsiu, and Zheng ○-peng. Starting at 8:00 PM on March 26, 2026, the prosecutor personally attended the detention hearing to argue the strong suspicion of drug trafficking and the necessity of detention. Around midnight the following day, the court granted detention for all four individuals. Following the formal indictment and the transfer of the case to the court on May 25, 2026, the court ruled that three of the four detained defendants—Chen ○-hsien, Tsai ○-hsiu, and Zheng ○-peng—shall remain held in continued detention, with the exception of Chang ○-yu.

IV. Appeal from Chief Prosecutor Tsai Tzung-Shi

Chief Prosecutor Tsai Tzung-Shi strongly reminds the public that marijuana, etomidate ("zombie vape cartridges"), ketamine, and cathinone (the primary ingredient in drug coffee mixes and rainbow cigarettes) are all emerging illicit drugs that pose a severe threat to society. Using these substances can cause hallucinations, delusions, tachycardia, and "amotivational syndrome" characterized by apathy toward one’s surroundings, and can even inflict permanent damage on the nervous system. Citizens must never try them out of curiosity or peer pressure, lest they destroy their own futures.

The Chiayi District Prosecutors Office will continue to execute the government’s drug control policy of "reducing demand and suppressing supply." Partnering with police, coast guard, and other sister agencies, the office will employ iron-fisted tactics—summarized as "uprooting networks, freezing illicit funds, expanding asset forfeiture, and pursuing severe prosecution"—against criminal syndicates that manufacture, transport, traffic, or possess large quantities of drugs with intent to sell. This collective effort aims to achieve the ultimate goals of rejecting, preventing, seizing, and rehabilitating drugs, thereby building a clean, drug-free home for all.