Amphetamine factory raided in Kaohsiung City
Police arrested three people after raiding a large-scale amphetamine manufacturing operation in Kaohsiung City that contained enough drug material to make an estimated NT$56 million worth of methamphetamine.
According to reports in United Daily News, and Liberty Times, police began an investigation after a tip-off and found that a man, named Zhang rented a shed in an isolated area beside the Qieyu Wetland Park in January this year. Zhang and two other suspects are alleged to have purchased 200,000 cold and flu tablets from pharmacies in Kaohsiung, Tainan, and other places. The suspects then extracted pseudoephedrine from the medicine.
The suspects were said to be very cautious in their operation. They built a fence and installed surveillance cameras to monitor the surrounding area, which was described as forested with a river forming a natural barrier.
Police spent a period of time monitoring the suspects’ movements and activities. Personnel hid in the woods, and endured mosquito bites and other discomforts during the monitoring process.
The suspects were noted to work at night and sleep in the daytime. Police waited until the suspects were asleep before swooping on the factory and arresting three suspects. Police confiscated 22.3 kilograms of finished pseudoephedrine, 318.7 kilograms of semi-refined powder, 507.8 kilograms of liquid semi-refined products, drug-making equipment, and other evidence.
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