The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office announced on August 14th that the 2026 “Cross-Border Drug Enforcement Cooperation Forum” was recently held, integrating Taiwan’s six major drug enforcement agencies to deepen technological drug enforcement and regional cooperation with the United States, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, and other countries.
The Taiwan High Prosecutors Office issued a press release on the 14th stating that to implement the “New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan” of the Executive Yuan, they established an international drug enforcement cooperation network, deepened cross-border intelligence exchange, and enhanced cooperation among domestic and foreign drug enforcement agencies. The “2026 Cross-Border Drug Enforcement Cooperation Forum” was held on the 11th.
The forum invited representatives from Taiwan’s prosecution, investigation, police, coast guard, military police, customs, and six major drug enforcement systems, as well as law enforcement personnel from the American Institute in Taiwan and international drug enforcement partners from the United States, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines to participate. Political Deputy Minister Lin Ming-hsin of the Executive Yuan, Minister of Justice Tseng Ming-chien, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) William Brent Christensen, and Director of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Roger also attended and delivered opening remarks.
The Acting Director-General of the Prosecutor’s Office Xu Xi-xiang, Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office Zhang Dou-hui, Director of the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice Chen Bai-li, Deputy Director of the Police Administration of the Ministry of the Interior Li Wen-zhang, Director of the Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council Zhang Zhong-long, Deputy Director of the Customs Administration of the Ministry of Finance Zhao Tai-an, and Deputy Commander of the Military Police Command Major General Wen Nian-zong, among other heads of drug enforcement agencies, personally attended the event to demonstrate their support and importance in combating transnational drug crimes.
Political Deputy Minister Lin Ming-hsin, in his speech, not only expressed sincere gratitude and respect to the international partners supporting Taiwan’s anti-drug efforts but also pointed out that drug crimes are not just a domestic security issue but a significant transnational crime affecting national security and regional stability. The Executive Yuan is formally initiating the third phase of the “New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan,” aiming to construct a new generation anti-drug governance model with a more forward-looking, technologically advanced, and international perspective.
Minister of Justice Tseng Ming-chien mentioned in his speech that the Ministry of Justice has been actively promoting judicial diplomacy in recent years, continuously deepening judicial cooperation with like-minded countries in terms of judicial assistance, prosecution exchange, cross-border evidence collection, joint investigations, and talent training to expand the depth and breadth of cooperation. Strengthening the domestic law enforcement system is not enough; the defense line must also extend abroad and the cooperation network needs to expand internationally to truly cut off the drug crime chain at its source.
AIT Director William Brent Christensen and DEA Director Roger emphasized the importance of international cooperation partners, stating that establishing common goals and mutual trust can overcome national boundaries and collectively safeguard public safety.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that the Cross-Border Drug Enforcement Cooperation Forum is now in its 5th edition. The topics discussed during this forum include:
1. “Drug Crime Trends & Response Strategies,” analyzing the drug situation in Taiwan and regional drug trends.
2. “Cyber, Illicit Finance, and Technology-Based Investigation in Drug Crime,” discussing cybercrime investigation, dark web and drug crime applications, suspicious transaction reporting and money laundering pattern analysis, and prevention and investigation of online drug trafficking.
3. “Case Study – Regional Cooperation,” exploring how to enhance regional cooperation through actual cases such as the joint Taiwan-US action to seize 430 kilograms of cocaine and international cooperation in aerial drug trafficking.
The three discussion sessions were moderated by Acting Director-General Xu Xi-xiang, Deputy Political Minister Huang Mou-xin, and Deputy Executive Director Feng Cheng, with representatives from Taiwan, the United States, Japan, the Philippines, and other drug enforcement agencies sharing practical experiences from intelligence exchange, case initiation, cross-border contacts, and joint investigations, garnering enthusiastic participation, discussion, and recognition from law enforcement officers in attendance domestically and internationally.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that since 2017, the Executive Yuan has been promoting the first phase of the New Generation Anti-Drug Strategy Action Plan, now in its tenth year. The Prosecutor’s Office will use this forum as a new starting point to continue integrating the six major drug enforcement systems and implement an overall strategy of “stopping drugs overseas, intercepting drugs at sea, rejecting drugs at the border, and cracking down on drugs domestically.” Furthermore, they will deepen trust with international law enforcement partners to collectively enhance the effectiveness of combating transnational drug crimes and build a closer, more real-time, and resilient international anti-drug cooperation network.