Taipei: Following the introduction of rapid saliva tests for detecting drug residues, 4,725 drug-related DUI (driving under the influence) cases have been referred to prosecutors from January to April this year-three times the number recorded during the same period last year, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Wednesday.
According to Focus Taiwan, 98 percent of these cases, or 4,633, were uncovered during routine traffic stops, effectively preventing potential accidents that could have resulted in injuries or deaths, the CIB stated. Among these cases, 3,119 involved methamphetamine, accounting for 70.06 percent of the total. This was followed by 974 cases involving ketamine (21.88 percent), 745 cases involving etomidate (16.73 percent), and 519 cases involving opioids such as heroin (11.64 percent).
Based on these statistics, the National Police Agency initiated several targeted operations against the drugs, resulting in the arrest of 17,022 suspects between January and April. This marks an increase of 4,102 cases, or 31.75 percent, compared to the previous year, the CIB reported. Among these arrests, 5,364 were related to etomidate, showing an increase of 1,971 cases, or 58.09 percent, year-on-year.
The CIB noted that etomidate acts rapidly and can impair consciousness while causing myoclonus-involuntary muscle jerks or twitches-which may lead drivers to lose control of their vehicles. The rapid saliva tests, capable of detecting drug residues within three minutes, were introduced to Taiwanese law enforcement in late 2025.