Drug dealers have adopted a new tactic to attract young buyers by disguising narcotics as trendy coffee and juice packets. Recently, the Taipei City Criminal Investigation Corps arrested a man surnamed Chen who was selling over a thousand packets of “poison coffee” through social media. The case has been referred to prosecutors under the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.
According to Taipei’s Criminal Investigation Division, with summer vacation underway, drug traffickers have been mixing narcotics into instant beverage packets labeled as “coffee” or “juice.” These packets often feature counterfeit popular logos such as Labubu, little devil characters, fake trendy brand logos, and anime designs to lure young consumers. This deceptive packaging lowers users’ guard, leading to overdoses or dangerous drug mixtures.
In line with the government’s firm anti-drug stance, police have been actively tracking drug distribution networks. Several months ago, officers monitoring social media identified Chen selling these drug-laced coffee packets at prices ranging from NT$300 to NT$500 each. After gathering evidence and tracking his transactions, Chen was arrested in Taipei’s Zhongshan District.
Police seized 1,099 packets weighing a total of 3,639.75 grams, along with two mobile phones and NT$30,000 in cash from the drug sales. The case is currently under investigation by the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
Authorities emphasized their zero-tolerance policy toward drug crimes that threaten public safety. Police vow to continue cracking down on narcotics, firearms, fraud, and gang-related offenses to protect the community.
