TAIPEI: Taiwan Police gunning for a Malaysian-based drug syndicate that has been smuggling heroin into Taiwan.
The syndicate’s activities came to light when Taiwanese authorities arrested six Malaysians trying to smuggle 5.83kg of heroin in six pieces of luggage on Jan 23.
The drugs were enough for the consumption of 600,000 people, a report by Taiwan’s Central News Agency claimed.
The Taiwanese Criminal Investigation Bureau had been on the watch for smugglers after it was tipped off that a Malaysian syndicate would try to bring the heroin into Taiwan before the Chinese New Year.
A raid was conducted on Jan 24 as the transaction was taking place in the Wanhua district.
Aside from the six Malaysians, a Taiwanese man was also arrested.
Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department acting director Deputy Comm Datuk Haris Wong Abdullah has been in touch with his counterpart in Taiwan as they probe the extent of the syndicate reach.
DCP Haris said police were investigating whether there were remnants of the syndicates in Malaysia.