Three arrested, one at large after fatal drug debt row in Kaohsiung, police say

ANOTHER TAKE: A ‘Liberty Times’ report said that the dispute was not over a drug debt, but one of the groups’ refusal to sell the other drugs on credit

Three suspects have been arrested and one remains at large after allegedly getting into a fight over drugs, killing two men and injuring a third, local authorities said.

The Kaohsiung Police Department said the incident occurred in the early hours of yesterday at an out-of-business health spa on Baotai Road in Fongshan District (鳳山).

Three male friends, surnamed Lee (李), Lin (林) and Chuang (莊), met at the location to discuss a drug debt with another group of men, when a conflict broke out and they were attacked with clubs and knives, police said.

A police station sign is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: CNA

During the brawl, Lee suffered serious injuries to the head, lost consciousness and was later declared dead. Lin and Chuang also suffered multiple injuries and were taken to an area hospital, police said. Lin died last night, police said.

Using surveillance footage, police tracked down four suspects in the attack, who were seen leaving the scene together in a car.

Three of the suspects were later arrested, while one remained at large as of yesterday afternoon.

The incident is believed to have stemmed from a dispute over drug debts, police said, adding that investigation was ongoing.

A report by the Chinese-language United Daily News said the group of four attackers included two brothers in their 40s, surnamed Tung (童), who were allegedly upset about being pushed to repay about NT$10,000 (US$314.55) in a drug debt that they owed to a member of Lee’s group.

The two groups met to negotiate at about 2am at the spa, which shut down recently and had rental studio apartments above it, the report said, though it did not specify why that location was chosen.

The Tung brothers and their accomplices allegedly came armed with knives and clubs and blocked the door to the spa while Lee and his friends were inside, it said.

They then allegedly attacked Lee’s group as they tried to escape the spa, seriously injuring Lee, who fled about 100m on foot before collapsing in the street, it said.

However, a report by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) said the attack was allegedly not due to a “debt,” but came after the attackers were told by Lee, Lin and Chuang that they could not buy about NT$10,000 worth of drugs on credit.