Last year, the Taichung Investigation Team of Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration apprehended two Thai women smuggling a total of 664 grams of heroin via body packing at Kaohsiung Xiaogang Airport. The Changhua District Court found them guilty of jointly transporting Class 1 narcotics and sentenced them to 15 years and 6 months, and 16 years in prison, respectively.
On the 2nd, the Changhua District Court publicly released the verdict. The two Thai women had agreed with a drug trafficking syndicate that for each heroin ball smuggled into Taiwan, regardless of its size, they would receive 800 Thai Baht (about 100 Malaysian Ringgit) per ball. In September last year, both women inserted and swallowed the drugs in a hotel in Thailand. One of them packed a large heroin ball into her rectum and swallowed 60 smaller balls, while the other inserted four large balls and swallowed 50 small ones.
That afternoon, upon arrival at Xiaogang Airport’s immigration checkpoint, both were intercepted by a special task force. X-ray scans revealed a large number of lumps inside their bodies, which, after expulsion and testing, proved to be heroin. The estimated market value of the confiscated drugs was about NT$8.3 million (roughly RM1.03 million), enough to supply about 25,000 users.
The judge held that drug offenses are not only universally condemned crimes but also strictly prohibited by Taiwanese law. The two defendants sought illegal gains instead of earning money through legitimate means, which deserved condemnation. Furthermore, the amount and purity of the confiscated drugs were significant.
The judge took into consideration that both women confessed after being caught and that the drugs were seized before reaching the market. As a result, for jointly transporting Class 1 drugs, they were sentenced to 15 years and 6 months and 16 years in prison, respectively. After serving their sentences or being pardoned, they will be deported, and all seized heroin will be confiscated and destroyed. The case is open to appeal.