Taiwan servicemen initially test positive in drug scandal

Twenty military staff at a Taiwan air base where narcotics were allegedly found tested positive for drugs in initial urine testing, military authority said Thursday.

The 20 people have been sent to a hospital for retesting to confirm the results, Taiwan's defense authority said in a statement, adding it is continuing to conduct urine tests for the remaining 13 percent of personnel at the Ching Chuan Kang air base in Taichung city.

Since Monday, officers have discovered white powder in a number of plastic bags on the base, which they suspected to be narcotics, as well as possible equipment used for consuming drugs. Initial tests showed that the powder could be amphetamine, which is illegal in Taiwan, according to local prosecutors.

The defense authority has organized drug testing for all servicemen at the base since Tuesday.

The authority said it will make full efforts to cooperate with prosecutors in the investigation and vowed harsh punishment for those who take narcotics regardless of their ranks.

Local media reported that narcotics had been found "more than once" at the base, which hosts about 3,000 military staff. Endi