TAIPEI: Police recently seized 70 kilograms of hydroxylimine hydrochloride, a substance used to make the recreational drug Ketamine, foiling an attempt to smuggle it into the country, prosecutors in Yilan said Tuesday.
The raid was carried out Sept. 5 based on a tip off in June 2016 about a drug smuggling operation in Yilan, the county’s District Prosecutors’ Office said in a press release.
In a joint operation by Luodong precinct police, and customs and the coast guard officers, the hydroxylimine hydrochloride was found hidden in water filters being imported into Taiwan in shipping containers, according to the statement.
A total of 70 kilograms of hydroxylimine hydrochloride, with a street value of NT$45.5 million (US$1.51 million) was seized, and four suspects were arrested, the prosecutors’ office said.
The office said Keelung Customs officers and the investigators who worked on the case must also be commended for their level of alertness and swift action.