Such substances must first be identified before authorities can decide whether to control them – a process that takes time.
“Some unscrupulous individuals may exploit this small loophole to modify the structure of banned substances,” said Investigation Bureau laboratory investigator Yen Yao-te.
“This then turns it into a banned substance that isn’t on the scheduled list, which means it temporarily can’t be regulated, (and it could be) an emerging drug that may be harmful to the human body.”
Once scientists have identified a new substance, their findings are submitted to the Ministry of Justice’s Drug Advisory Committee, which considers whether it should be classified as a controlled drug.
According to Investigation Bureau statistics, more than 90 per cent of drugs in Taiwan come from overseas, Chao said. They can arrive with travellers, through international parcels, or in larger shipments carried aboard ships or inside cargo containers.