[Picture: United Daily News]

Customs officials and police in Kaohsiung Harbor intercepted a shipment of cocaine hidden in batteries. The 218.45kg haul is the biggest cocaine bust in the history of Taiwan.

Investigators received intelligence that a Taipei-based company had been making shipments of heavy vehicle batteries to Australia. While the batteries have a market-value of barely NTD$10,000, the shipping costs amounted to three times that value. Customs, police and coast guard personnel formed an ad-hoc group to investigate the company’s shipments.

On December 1, a shipment of 11 batteries in Keelung Harbor, bound for Australia was found to contain 51.345kg of amphetamines. Investigators raided the company and learned that a shipment of batteries from Brazil was due to arrive via Kaohsiung Harbor. The shipment was intercepted and found to contain 218kg of cocaine.

Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau officials displayed the haul at a press conference attended by the premier and legislators this morning.

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