Taichung District Prosecutors Office Uses Preventive Detention to Combat Drug-Impaired Driving, 20 Cases Approved in Nearly Half a Month

(中央社記者 蘇木春 台中10日電) The Taichung District Prosecutors Office stated today that police apprehended four individuals suspected of drug-impaired driving on the 9th. After further questioning, prosecutors determined there was a risk of repeated offenses and a need for detention, and successfully petitioned the court for preventive detention. Additionally, since the launch of a special joint police-prosecutor project, preventive detention has been approved in 20 cases over nearly half a month, continuing the crackdown on drug-impaired driving.

The Taiwan Taichung District Prosecutors Office issued a press release today stating that Taichung police and prosecutors are rigorously investigating drug-impaired driving. On the 9th, they successively uncovered four cases involving individuals surnamed Tao, Chen, Chou, and Shen. After interrogation by prosecutors, all four defendants were deemed to be under major suspicion of violating the Criminal Code's offense of driving a motor vehicle while unable to do so safely. Due to the risk of repeatedly committing drug-impaired driving offenses and the necessity of detention, the prosecutors petitioned the court for preventive detention, which was granted.

According to prosecutor statistics, from May 27 to June 9 of this year, prosecutors considered factors such as the severity of suspicion, the likelihood of repeated drug-impaired driving, and the degree of threat to road traffic safety. They legally petitioned for the detention of defendants with major suspicion and a high risk of recidivism, resulting in 20 cases being approved by the court.

The prosecutors stated that on May 27, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office held a 'Seminar on the Appropriate Use of Preventive Detention to Combat Drug-Impaired Driving.' The seminar established eight key types of drug-impaired driving cases, including: simultaneous seizure of drugs, concurrent drunk driving, traffic accidents causing death or injury, serious traffic violations, accidents occurring near schools or public gathering places, driving behavior before apprehension that had already created traffic hazards, a history of multiple drug use or drug-impaired driving offenses, and objective signs of apparent drug use leading to unsafe driving.

Investigations revealed that the defendant surnamed Tao, apprehended on the 9th, was a foreign migrant worker who had lost contact. Police also found drugs in his vehicle, indicating a high risk of driving after drug use. The defendant surnamed Chen, after police reviewed his vehicle's trajectory, was found to have been driving under the influence of drugs in urban public gathering places, showing disregard for public traffic safety.

Furthermore, the defendant surnamed Chou had a history of drug use, and police seized multiple types of drugs from his personal bag. The defendant surnamed Shen had both drugs seized and a prior record of drug-impaired driving. The prosecutors stated that for cases meeting the key types and legal detention requirements, they will actively and appropriately use the preventive detention system to continue cracking down on key drug-impaired driving cases, effectively curbing the risk of recidivism. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150610

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