On May 10, 1993, a prosecutor from Chiayi City in southern Taiwan directed policemen to raid a fishing vessel entering Tungkang Harbor 110 kilometers south of Chiayi, where they seized 336 kilograms (gross) of pure heroin smuggled from the Chinese mainland. These drugs, the estimated retail price of which wa put at NT$10 billion (US$337 million), were said to be sufficient to serve 10,000 addicts for a full year. This was the largest single heroin seizure in Taiwan's history, and possibly the second largest in world history (the largest on reportedly being a seizure in San Francisco in 1991).

The news shocked the country. On May 12, 1993, while conferring medals and awards on meritorious officals, Premier Lien Chan of the Republic of China (ROC) openly declared war on drugs. The ROC's anti-drug campaign thus entered a brand new era.