Updated: 2025-09-29 9:25 PM
[Epoch Times, September 29, 2025] (Epoch Times reporter Chang Huairen, Taipei, Taiwan) Fraud cases have become a focus of public attention in recent years. However, historical data from the National Police Agency reveals that drug cases remain at a consistent level, with the number of Tier-two drug cases far exceeding that of other Tier-two drugs. Scholars explain this phenomenon by citing the lower price of Tier-two drugs compared to Tier-one drugs, the greater acceptance of marijuana among young people, and the trendiness and peer acceptance of Tier-two drugs.
According to statistics from the National Police Agency, in 2024, police agencies conducted a total of 36,364 drug busts, including 7,258 cases of Category 1 drugs, 25,639 cases of Category 2 drugs, 3,306 cases of Category 3 drugs, and 161 cases of Category 4 and other drugs. A total of 37,854 suspects were apprehended, including 7,402 cases of Category 1 drug trafficking, 26,291 cases of Category 2 drug trafficking, 3,948 cases of Category 3 drug trafficking, and 213 cases of Category 4 and other drugs.
Tier II drugs account for the largest number of cases, with marijuana being the dominant offender.
The above data shows that Tier II drugs far outnumber Tier I, Tier III, and Tier IV drugs in terms of both the number of cases and the number of suspects involved. Looking at the ratio of drug cases to all criminal cases in a given year, the figure was approximately 5% in 2003, rising to approximately 11% in 2008. While the ratio has decreased from 19% to approximately 9% in recent years, the decline in drug cases has slowed compared to the number of thefts, which fell from approximately 330,000 in 2003 to approximately 38,000 in 2023.
Last year, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office stated that marijuana had become a mainstream drug. In 2023, judicial police seized nearly 260,000 packages of mixed drugs, a 60% increase from 2022.
From January to September of last year, 217,174 packages of mixed drugs were seized, a 10% increase from the same period in 2023. From January to September of last year, 1,281 etomidates were detected, a 58-fold increase from the previous year. The government later designated etomidate (zombie cigarette cartridges) as a Category II drug.
Why do Category II drugs account for the largest number of cases? Wang Boqi, associate professor of criminology at Ming Chuan University, told The Epoch Times that marijuana is likely the most common drug used by young people. The falling price of marijuana has made it more acceptable to young people in the market. Furthermore, some countries do not punish marijuana use, which may also lead to a trend of adoption.
Why is price a factor? Wang Boqi analyzed that sometimes drug crimes aren’t simply about drug use; they may also involve theft, robbery, and fraud. Some of these crimes could provide a source of funds for drug purchases, so price is a factor.
As for Class 1 drugs, Wang Boqi noted that heroin is the most widely used and most stable drug. Heroin is relatively expensive, and young people may perceive heroin as something used by older people. Therefore, besides price, factors such as trendiness and peer acceptance also play a role.
Furthermore, the way marijuana and heroin are used also play a role. Wang Boqi believes that young people tend to prefer novelty and experimentation. Heroin is often inhaled on a disc or paper, while marijuana can be turned into a cigarette, which creates a more stylish look.
Wang Boqi further explained that many upstream companies are adapting to current trends to stay current, such as the packaging of drug coffee bags, which often follow trends like Demon Slayer. Therefore, when peers smoke and share, beyond the pleasant, high-energy feeling, they also experience the feeling of sharing among themselves, whether they think it’s cool or simply think “this might be something they’d like more.”
Wang Boqi compares it to a car that rides the same, but why would someone modify it? It’s a pursuit of novelty and trendiness, and currently, marijuana and zombie vape cartridges are trending.
Drugs are difficult to eradicate, and rooted education is crucial.
As to why drug cases still account for a significant proportion of all cases, Wang Boqi mentioned a phenomenon called “drug foodification.” He cited examples such as marijuana being made into marijuana cookies and related products, the emerging drug “King Kong” (commonly known as plum powder), drug stamps, and coffee bags.
Wang Boqi added that drug traffickers may also use tactics when trying to sell new drugs to young people, such as, “Don’t worry, this thing is relatively new. Unlike the old, addictive drugs, it’s not very addictive.”
Furthermore, Wang Boqi pointed out that drug traffickers have also taken advantage of the new generation of internet users and are engaging in online marketing. Nitrous oxide (N2O), which wasn’t previously considered a drug, is also being marketed online, and peer-to-peer spread is also driven by popularity.
Thus, Wang Boqi concluded that, taking all these factors into account, there will still be a certain number of drug users. Even if the number decreases, the constant introduction of new drugs will keep the prevalence high.
Thus, Wang Boqi believes that it’s difficult to completely eradicate drugs. While everyone hopes for a decrease in the number of new drug users, this has become a supply-and-demand market. Some people take on profitable businesses, while others don’t. So why do drug users still exist in the middle and upper reaches? He stated that drugs still have a certain market, that drug users are wealthy, and that they are likely to reoffend, making eradication difficult and presenting a potential population.
Wang Boqi added that traditional violent crime, while earning hard-earned money through violence and often leaving people bruised and battered, likely earned less than selling drugs, and the profit margins were significantly lower.
Zombie smoke bombs were designated a Class II drug by the government last year due to their widespread prevalence. But will this solve the problem? Wang Boqi believes that raising the classification to Class II, with its harsher penalties, may address the symptoms in the short term, but whether it can address the root cause remains to be seen and depends on subsequent investigations.
Wang Boqi explained that etomidate has a very short half-life, and he hopes that a test can be developed in the future that can detect etomidate immediately, similar to a breathalyzer, so that offenders can be caught red-handed and at least some subsequent harm (such as fatalities caused by driving under the influence of drugs) can be avoided.
Wang Boqi also mentioned that because this is a new drug, people are not aware of its side effects, so education is very important and needs to be rooted in the community. Many times, people use it because they are unaware of the consequences it will have. Just like when ketamine first became popular, people did not know that it could cause bladder fibrosis and bladder atrophy. This is why there was a slogan called “Poop once, wear diapers forever.”