Taiwan pharmacy boss held over alleged drugging of student
AM730 · 2 SOURCES40 minutes ago2 MIN
Summary
A part-time female university student in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, allegedly had drugs placed in her drink by her pharmacy boss while on duty, in a case that has triggered outrage in Taiwan. Police said the suspect had formatted the shop’s CCTV system after the incident, but investigators recovered footage from the cloud that allegedly showed him putting substances into the student’s bottle and shaking it. The student reportedly noticed the water had turned bitter, felt seriously unwell, insisted on going home by herself, and later blacked out after getting back. Prosecutors are now seeking to detain the suspect on offences including evidence destruction, attempted aggravated sexual assault, and deceiving another person into taking a Category 3 drug
Key Points
- The case took place at a pharmacy in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, where a student preparing to enter her fourth year had worked part-time for nearly a year
- According to a family member’s online post, the incident happened on Wednesday, August 26, and the family reported it to police the following day
- CCTV recovered from cloud storage allegedly showed the boss adding drugs to the bottle and deliberately shaking it afterward.
- The student noticed an unusual taste, said the water had become strange, refused the boss’s offers to take her home, and later blacked out after returning home
- Police said a preliminary test on the bottle was positive for benzodiazepines, and prosecutors sought detention over evidence tampering and other suspected offences.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a stark reminder that alleged drink-spiking risks can arise in ordinary workplaces, not only in nightlife settings. It also underlines the importance of digital evidence preservation, because the case advanced after investigators recovered cloud-based footage despite the shop system being formatted.