Canadian given light sentence for cannabis cultivation

October 5, 2019October 5, 2019 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment cannabis cultivation, marijuana, Taoyuan City

A Canadian cram school owner was sentenced to two years in prison, and will not be deported, after a court determined that he had grown for his own use, and was a conscientious and dedicated teacher of English. Mr Lee, 52, was arrested January 30, 2019, after a police search of a property in Longtan District, Taoyuan City turned up 163 marijuana plants under cultivation, 893 grams of dry cannabis, and related equipment. The police investigation found that Lee had

Nanfang'ao Bridge after collapse October 1, 2019

Disaster

October 1, 2019October 1, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment bridge collapse, Yilan County

A bridge spanning a harbor in Yilan County collapsed this morning, October 1, crushing fishing boats moored below it, and leaving crew members trapped or injured. At around 9:30am, a fuel tanker was passing over the 140 meter long Nanfang’ao Bridge when the bridge suddenly collapsed. Video footage of the incident shows the tanker passing the center of the bridge when a suspension cable suddenly snaps and the deck collapses. The bridge collapsed onto three fishing boats moored below, leaving

Marine and Fisheries Typhoon

September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ghost ship, marine salvage, ship aground, Yilan County

As Typhoon Mitag bears down on Taiwan’s northeast coast, harbor authorities decided to abort an operation to tow a 1,000 tonne freighter off the rocky shore at Daxi Harbor, Yilan County, yesterday, after an inspection team found that the hull had already been breached and had taken on water. The crewless, nameless, freighter ran aground Saturday, September 28, after drifting into Taiwan waters from the Yangtze River via the sea of Japan. Maritime authorities believe that the ship had been

Marine and Fisheries

September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment ghost ship, ship adrift, ship aground, Yilan County

A crewless Chinese freighter first spotted drifting off the coast of northeastern Taiwan yesterday, September 27, ran aground on a rocky shoreline outside Daxi Fishing Harbor in Yilan County today, September 28. According to United Daily News, Japanese authorities alerted Taiwan about the drifting ship Thursday, September 26, after it was spotted in Japanese waters. Japan also contacted maritime authorities in China, but received no response from the Chinese. Taiwan coast guard ships yesterday intercepted the ship 15.7 nautical miles

The freighter Ji Shun under power without a crew near Taiwan

Marine and Fisheries

September 22, 2019September 22, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment marine salvage, marine search and rescue, search and rescue, ship adrift

A 7,000-tonne freighter was towed to the Port of Kaohsiung today, after being abandoned by its crew northwest of Taiwan three days ago, and continuing under power, before drifting into the Taiwan Strait. At around 5:00am, Thursday, September 19, the National Search and Rescue Command Center received a distress call from the vessel Ji Shun, located around 50 nautical miles northwest of Cape Fugui. The captain informed the rescue center that he and his crew were preparing to abandon ship

Traffic Accidents

September 18, 2019September 18, 2019 Phillip Charlier 1 Comment drunk driving, Taoyuan City

A 38-year-old man was killed instantly when he slammed into a truck at high speed in Taoyuan City yesterday, September 17. Mr Lee was driving his Maserati sports car on Nantun Road in Luzhu District shortly after 4:00am, when a logistics truck pulled out of a depot and executed a left turn across an intersection. Traffic monitor footage showed Lee slamming into the side of the truck at full-speed, without applying the brakes. The Maserati was lodged under the truck,

electric scooter park and charge in claw machine arcade

Odd News

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment claw machine, electric vehicles

A woman in Taichung has been charged after parking her electric scooter inside a claw machine arcade in Taiping District two times, and leaving it to charge overnight. The owner of the claw machine arcade noticed the incident when reviewing security monitor footage. The footage showed the woman riding her scooter into the arcade with two children and another woman late in the evening September 5, leaving it parked and plugged in overnight. The arcade owner uploaded pictures of the

Drugs

September 9, 2019September 9, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment cannabis cultivation, marijuana, Miaoli County

Miaoli County district prosecutors and the Criminal Investigation Bureau raided a property in Zhunan Township, Thursday, September 5, and arrested four men involved in growing marijuana which they processed into chocolate products. According to a report in Liberty Times, the police were astonished to find that the men did not sell the leaves and flowers of the plant to be smoked, but rather processed it into edible products. Investigators seized 220 mature cannabis plants, 11 seedlings, a quantity of seeds,

firefighters search for missing boy in Wulai District

Health and Safety

September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment drowning, Wulai District

The body of a 6-year-old boy was found wedged under a rock in Wulai District’s Nanshi River this morning, 10 days after he went missing August 26. The incident occurred at the same spot his 6-year-old sister drowned last year. On July 29, 2018, a 6-year-old girl from the Jian family sneaked away from her grandmother’s home with her 7-year-old cousin. The two girls went to the riverbank 30 meters from the house to play in the water of the

Crime and Criminals

August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Chiayi County, firearms, Minxiong Township, shooting, siege

A man surrendered to Chiayi County police after a five-hour long siege in Minxiong Township, during which the suspect fired 50 shots and threw numerous explosives. Police officers went to a residence in a lane on Jianguo Road after neighbors reported hearing people arguing, followed by three gunshots at around 8:00am. The officers called for backup after a suspect on the third floor responded to their arrival with more gunshots. Police blockaded the area while a SWAT team and police

Typhoon

August 8, 2019August 8, 2019 Phillip Charlier 0 Comment Lekima, typhoon

Northern counties and municipalities in Taiwan have ordered work and classes suspended for Friday, August 9, as a category 4 typhoon approaches on a trajectory that is predicted to engulf the area within its 280 kilometer storm radius. At 9:00pm Thursday, Lekima was located 24.4° north, 124.9° east, 350 kilometers east of Taipei, moving northwest at 18 kilometers per hour. The eye of typhoon Lekima is expected to pass to the north of the island late Thursday night and Friday,

Canadian given light sentence for cannabis cultivation

Bridge collapses in Yilan County, 12 injured, 5 missing

Stranded ship left to mercy of typhoon after towing operation aborted

Ghost ship runs aground in Yilan County as tropical storm approaches

“Ghost ship” brought into port after drifting for three days

Drunk Maserati driver killed after slamming into truck

Electric scooter rider uses claw machine arcade as free park and charge station

Cannabis chocolate grow-op busted in Miaoli County

Boy’s body found in same stream his sister drowned last summer

Gunman arrested after 50 shots, explosions in 5 hour siege

Stop work orders issued as northern Taiwan prepares for Typhoon Lekima