Nail Salon by Day, Drug Lab by Night: Three Indicted in Taichung

Central News Agency, Taichung, May 28. Three suspects, including a man surnamed Chen, were indicted for forming a drug manufacturing ring. They rented a residential unit in Taichung, operating a nail salon by day and a drug packaging facility for coffee-style drug packets by night. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) raided the location in November last year, seizing evidence and referring the suspects to prosecutors. The CIB's Central Strike Force received intelligence in October 114 regarding Chen's involvement in manufacturing synthetic cathinones. After surveillance, they discovered Chen had recruited two women, aged 37 and 34, to operate the facility in Xitun District. On November 5, 114, police raided the site, arresting the three and seizing 3,885 drug-laced coffee packets, 1,836.6g of cathinone, 117.69g of ketamine, and an automatic packaging machine. The group worked at traditional markets in the morning, ran the nail salon in the afternoon, and packaged drugs at night. All three were indicted for violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.