Taipei: An American woman has been indicted in Taiwan on charges of smuggling heroin from Laos, allegedly under the influence of a man she believed to be the superior of her online fianc©, whom she had never met in person, as reported by the Aviation Police Bureau.

According to Focus Taiwan, the woman was apprehended when customs officers at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport discovered 4.237 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage in May. The narcotics, with an estimated street value of over NT$30 million (US$998,500), were intercepted by authorities, as confirmed by Chen Po-chuan, captain of the bureau's Second Investigation Team.

The woman was subsequently transferred to the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office, where she faced charges for violating the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act. Chen detailed that the woman, in her 50s, had traveled from the United States to Laos, where she acquired the suitcase containing the drugs, before journeying through Hong Kong to Taiwan.

Investigations revealed that she had an online relationship with a man she never met in person. After learning of his incarceration, she was contacted by an individual claiming to be his superior, who allegedly pressured her into sending remittances to the fianc©. The woman was later offered a "job" in Laos, with all expenses covered and daily allowances provided.

Despite her claims of ignorance regarding the drugs, Chen explained that the police dismissed her assertions due to her inability to identify the man or explain his role, along with the excessive rewards promised for the alleged job. She was arrested immediately.

Authorities also arrested a Taiwanese man, surnamed Yeh, in Taoyuan's Zhongli District. Yeh maintained that he was merely retrieving the luggage for a friend. Prosecutors believe both individuals were operating under the directives of a trafficking syndicate and have consequently indicted them.