THIRTY: A Canadian in a Taiwan jail

Special to the Weekender

September 12, 2005

by Diana Leeson

The most famous Canadian in Taipei right now is 28 year-old Mathieu Forand, from Vancouver. Up until about two weeks ago, he worked as an English teacher and in my office as a part-time educational writer. Then he was arrested for the trafficking and possession of illegal narcotics. He is sitting in a jail right now, outside the city, probably thinking about the first thing that any newcomer to Taiwan sees upon arriving at Chiang Kai-Shek Airport: a banner that reads, “Bringing drugs into the Republic of China is punishable by death.”

‘Matty, as he is known to his friends and coworkers, is a friendly and outgoing young guy. He wears flip-flops to work and transports himself around town on a bicycle. I knew he hung out with the younger crowd that frequents rave clubs. I had no idea he was considered the biggest foreign drug dealer in Taipei.

On August 27, Mathieu and his roommates hosted a party in their apartment, in the trendy Neihu district of Taipei. The Coast Guard’s mobile unit had been watching the apartment for the past three months, and chose that night to make their move. They arrested a Taiwanese student, Su Sheng-hsi, as he left Mathieu’s apartment that night, after buying drugs. Su was then used as ‘bait’ and sent back up to the apartment to trap the leader of the international drug smuggling ring.

When I returned to Taipei after a two-week break with family in Canada, I couldn’t believe the headlines. Mathieu Forand is being described as the ‘kingpin’ of the ring. Of course the authorities don’t think he was the only one involved. That’s why they arrested seven other expats, from Canada, Australia and Hong Kong. Their photos were printed on the front page of three national papers.

Many people are amazed that a foreigner could have made such a big business for himself as a drug dealer in Taipei, where much of the crime is organized. The sale of drugs is controlled by the mafia. I’ve been told if Forand was dealing, he was likely making enough money to pay them off regularly.

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After this article went to print, I was called by a reporter in Vancouver who wanted to interview me for the paper in Forand’s hometown. I told him I didn’t know much other than what I had written, because I didn’t.

Nearly ten years later, Matty is still in a Taiwanese jail. His family doesn’t get regular visits. No promises can be depended on. The conditions are not good, or fair. 

His friends in Taipei, many of them artists, host a “Merry Matty Eve” fundraiser every Christmas where they auction their artwork to raise money for things that he needs in jail. They say Matty is using his time to study. His Mandarin is near perfect. His friends work out a visiting schedule so he doesn’t go long without seeing a familiar face. They do their very best to accommodate all of his requests, although he doesn't have many. 

Matty is eligible for parole in February 2016. He doesn't want to get his hopes up, as the parole process in Taiwan is quite different and often refused the first time. His mood is positive, and philosophical.