Taiwanese arrested in Australia over alleged drug-smuggling
Central News Agency
2014-02-12 07:35 PM
Taipei, Feb. 12 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Wednesday that four Taiwanese nationals have been arrested in Australia on charges of smuggling drugs and possessing large amounts of narcotics.
"Our representative office in Sydney has contacted the police there to learn more about the case," ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao said. As the investigation continues, Kao said, officials at the representative office will continue to stay in contact with Australian law enforcement authorities to keep on top of the situation and offer assistance to the Taiwanese nationals if necessary.
Five people were arrested, including the four Taiwanese, following the execution of four search warrants a day earlier in the Sydney suburbs of Hillsdale, Kensington, Greenwich and the Sydney Central Business District, according to a joint statement issued by the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
The 183-kilogram haul was discovered during a joint operation by police and border officers at Sydney's container port, the statement said. Border officers selected a container for X-ray inspection, which revealed that 19 of a shipment of 27 kayaks contained packages of methamphetamine, the statement said.
The police subsequently arrested three men and one woman -- all Taiwanese -- after they allegedly accessed the kayaks to retrieve the drugs, according to the statement. Further investigations also resulted in the arrest of an Australian man at his Kensington residence, the statement said.
The 32 year-old Kensington man and a 28-year-old Taiwanese woman were each charged with one count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, while the three Taiwanese men -- aged 35, 30 and 21 -- were each charged with one count of possessing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, the statement said.
The maximum penalty for these offenses is life imprisonment, the statement said.
(By Elaine Hou)