By KHT Staff. Image via Kaohsiung police.
KAOHSIUNG — Police have arrested a Vietnamese migrant worker in Kaohsiung after customs officers found more than 2.5 kg of cannabis flowers hidden inside packets of Thai instant noodles, according to a Liberty Times report.
Investigators arrested a 31-year-old Vietnamese migrant worker, surnamed Ding (丁), in Alian District (阿蓮) on March 17 when he arrived to collect the parcel. He was later detained by court order.
Police said the smuggling group packed 2,519 grams of cannabis flowers into 24 packets of well-known Thai instant noodles. The drugs were mixed with small amounts of broken noodles and seasoning to make the packets look like normal instant noodles before being resealed and shipped to Taiwan.
Investigators said Ding used his workplace as the delivery address and listed the phone number of a 23-year-old friend, surnamed Chen (陳), as the contact number.
Police said Chen had overstayed his visa, but they believe he did not know about the parcel.
After his arrest, Ding allegedly tried to blame Chen, claiming Chen had instructed him to collect the package. Police said the claim was not credible.
Investigators said other contacts linked to the case appeared to be using IP addresses in Thailand, and they are continuing to trace the upstream suppliers.
Police estimated the seized cannabis had a market value of about NT$3.5 million.
The case was referred for investigation under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例).
