Norwegian male caught bringing 25kg of marijuana into Taiwan

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 30-year-old Norwegian male was found to have 25.5 kg of marijuana in his checked luggage as he departed Taoyuan airport, the Aviation Police Bureau (APB) and Taipei Customs said on Tuesday (Nov. 26).

In mid-September, the suspect intended to travel from Thailand to the UK with a transit stop in Taiwan. During his seven-hour layover, he departed the airport around midnight and hailed a taxi to the Taipei 101 area to visit nightclubs.

Chen Po-chuan (陳博全), captain of the Second Investigation Team for the APB's Criminal Investigation Brigade, said that while the suspect was visiting nightclubs, authorities inspected checked luggage at Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1.

​His luggage was found to contain 50 packages of marijuana, a Schedule II drug. Police reviewed surveillance footage to track his whereabouts.

The suspect was arrested at about 6:00 a.m. when he returned to the airport to board his flight to the UK.

Chen said the suspect initially denied the drugs in the suitcase belonged to him. However, a review of airline check-in records and surveillance footage showed the suitcase had been checked in his name.

After a brief interrogation, the suspect was transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office for further investigation and prosecution according to the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.