TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Police uncovered a record-breaking cannabis production facility on Monday (Dec. 2).
Yunlin County police on Wednesday described it as the “largest outdoor cannabis greenhouse site” in the country's history, per Liberty Times. Officers seized 1,766 cannabis plants and dried cannabis buds, with an estimated market value exceeding NT$1 billion (US$31 million).
In May, Yunlin County police received a tip-off that a 37-year-old man surnamed Tsai (蔡) and his accomplices were cultivating cannabis for profit. A task force was formed, and after more than six months of surveillance and evidence collection, the suspects' daily routines, farm location, and hideouts were identified.
The suspects rented land in a remote mountainous area of Tainan, built a greenhouse, surrounded it with banana plants as camouflage, and utilized nearby streams as natural barriers to deter detection.
During the investigation, the suspects were observed tending to their crops daily. To confirm the greenhouse’s contents, police crossed streams and crawled hundreds of meters during nighttime reconnaissance missions, even encountering a venomous snake on one occasion, per UDN.
Initially, officers were misled, as the suspects used clips to secure the cannabis plants, making them appear like tomato vines. Only after infiltrating the greenhouse did police confirm the presence of cannabis.
After confirming the greenhouse contained cannabis plants, the task force launched a coordinated operation at 4 a.m. on Monday, targeting a remote mountainous area in Tainan’s Nansi District and a nearby residence. At the residence, police apprehended five individuals: Tsai, a 28-year-old woman surnamed Chen (陳), a 29-year-old man surnamed Lin (林), a 54-year-old man surnamed Chan (詹), and a 25-year-old man surnamed Cheng (鄭).
Inside, they discovered finished cannabis products and processing equipment. In a nearby greenhouse, a five-minute drive away, they confiscated 1,766 cannabis plants, along with plant growth lamps, fertilizers, and agricultural equipment. Some plants had grown up to 2 meters tall.
The group demonstrated a highly specialized division of labor. Tsai was responsible for cultivation and harvesting, Lin for drug production, and the others handled planting tasks.
The greenhouse featured a steel-frame structure costing nearly NT$10 million to construct. The greenhouse was equipped with advanced smart agricultural technologies such as temperature and humidity control systems and professional plant grow lights, which operated on timers to enhance cannabis production efficiency.
Police said the setup resembled a model smart farm. Cannabis plants could be harvested after about three months, with the processed cannabis buds valued at NT$1,300 to NT$1,800 per gram.
Police seized instruction cards and growth journals at the site, detailing methods for pesticide and fertilizer application.
The Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office said the five defendants including Tsai are suspected of breaking the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例) and Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪條例), per CNA. Yunlin District Court has ordered the detention of all five suspects without bail as they are considered a flight risk.
None of the suspects are believed to have had agricultural backgrounds, but they demonstrated expertise in utilizing smart technology for cultivation. Police suspect they have had outside guidance and are continuing to trace the operation’s origins.
