Police student sentenced to 5-year prison term for importing marijuana

A student of Taiwan’s Central Police University who was expelled and charged for importing marijuana by mail was handed a 5-year prison term by the Taoyuan District Court, today, January 27.

According to an investigation by the Taoyuan District Prosecutor’s Office, the 20-year-old man, named Hsu, in collusion with a person identified only with the nickname “Duck,” conspired to import 200 grams of marijuana with the delivery address being Hsu’s home in Taoyuan District.

On August 5, Taipei Customs officers identified a package as suspect and opened it for inspection. Inside the package was found 63 grams of cannabis flowers and 134 grams of cannabis candy and chocolate.

A police officer disguised as a courier delivered the package to Hsu’s home where Hsu’s mother signed for the delivery on August 12. After police identified the package as belonging to Hsu, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

During the investigation and trial, Hsu confessed to his crime. The prosecution also proffered evidence including the seized goods, relevant dialogues from Hsu’s phone, and police search and seizure records.

Hsu’s defence pointed out that Hsu was still a student at the time he committed the crime and had no previous convictions. The defence tendered statements by Hsu’s parents, teachers, and employers, attesting to Hsu’s good character, and requested the court punish him according to Article 59 of the Criminal Code: “A punishment may be reduced at discretion if the circumstances of the commission of the offense are so pitiable that even the minimum punishment is considered too severe.”

However, the court severely criticized Hsu, noting that he was a student of the national Central Police University to become a law enforcement officer after graduation, and therefore he knew that he was breaking the law. The judge handed down a 5-year sentence for the crime of importing a category 2 drug.

The case is appealable.

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