《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taichung police arrest one, seize 16 marijuana plants

By Hsu Kuo-chun and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer

Police on Tuesday arrested a man accused of growing marijuana and confiscated 16 plants from his residence in Taichung, saying that his operation could be worth about NT$50 million （US$1.71 million） in annual drug sales.

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Taichung Police Department officials said that the 37-year-old man, surnamed Lin （林）, is suspected of cultivating marijuana in a sophisticated greenhouse on the second floor of his family’s townhouse.

The greenhouse was equipped with a supply of plant nutrient liquids, growing lamps, sprinklers, water acidity level testing devices, irrigation pipelines, humidity controllers, ventilation and other machinery, the department said.

The setup is “highly professional” and the marijuana has a good reputation with buyers and commands high prices, police said.

Each plant is valued at between NT$3 million and NT$4 million, police said.

Buds from the marijuana plants can be harvested every three months and sold for about NT$1,500 per gram, with each plant generating between NT$3 million and NT$4 million in annual revenue, the department said.

Police also recovered more than 900g of cured buds.

Lin is suspected of ordering the seeds online using bitcoin, police said.

The Fifth Precinct’s Inspection Section began investigating Lin after a tip-off and raided his residence with the First and Third sections of the department’s Criminal Investigation Corps, police said, adding that Lin was arrested when he was walking out of his home.

Lin’s mother, who lives in the residence, said that she thought her son was a gardening enthusiast and denied having knowledge of the alleged operation.

Lin told investigators that he sold buds to dealers for NT$420,000 per kilogram and had only completed one harvest and deal before his arrest, the department said.

Investigators said they suspect Lin has not disclosed the full extent of his involvement and efforts to trace the drugs are in progress.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES