Taiwan's 'Sunflower Goddess' Indicted for Cocaine-Smuggling Plot

Liu Chiao-an, known as the "Sunflower Goddess," has been indicted for smuggling 590 grams of cocaine worth millions of New Taiwan dollars into Taiwan via air freight, facing charges of drug trafficking, smuggling, and organized crime. Investigators found she joined a drug ring led by Hong Kong's "14K" gang, melting the cocaine into candles for shipment. She acted as a key liaison, recruiting Taiwanese buyers and using Telegram to video-teach them how to extract the drug by melting the wax. Prosecutors noted she could receive an average 15-year sentence if she pleads guilty under sentencing guidelines. She confessed in June after initially denying involvement, writing a six-to-seven-page repentance letter, though she disputes details of the financial transactions.