A Vietnamese student was apprehended for using an international parcel service to smuggle drugs from Vietnam into Taiwan, Taiwan News reported, citing the Aviation Police Bureau and Taipei Customs Bureau on Tuesday. 

Authorities had seized two different parcels on July 20 containing 1,168 grams of narcotics and 1,002 grams of marijuana disguised in 17 cans of matcha green tea powder.

After checking parcel records, officers found the recipient was located in Shenkeng District, New Taipei City. 

They identified the recipient of the package as a man surnamed Ngo, who had signed for multiple international parcels and had actively tracked the status of such shipments.

Police had thus monitored Ngo for many days.

A task force’s preliminary investigation found that Ngo is a Vietnamese student studying in Taiwan and employed on a part-time basis at a hotpot restaurant in Wanhua District. 

He did not respond to the parcel service company’s calls to pick up the package or sign for the goods.

Police officers eventually decided to apprehend Ngo when he left his residence. 

Investigation results showed that he had participated in an online group in Vietnam to sell marijuana. 

Furthermore, he had searched for information on his mobile phone about how to smoke marijuana and how to sell it without being detected.

Ngo eventually confessed that he had been part of a marijuana trading ring to help subsidize his rent and daily living expenses. 

For NT$7,000 (US$226), he provided his cellphone number and address in Taiwan to receive the illicit package to forward it onward.

The case has been transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for investigation and prosecution on suspicion of violating Taiwan’s Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

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