A mid-ranking Taoyuan police officer has been caught with meth and is being fired, an embarrassing blow to the city's police force.

• A man in his 40s working in the Taoyuan police foreign affairs unit was caught holding and passing on methamphetamine.
• Officers picked him up during a routine anti-drug sweep and only then realized he was a serving policeman.
• He has been handed to prosecutors under Taiwan's drug control law.
• Police say they widened the check and have not found any other officers involved so far.
• The force plans to fire him outright through the harshest disciplinary penalty available.

Outlook: Prosecutors will decide on charges while the city government signs off on his dismissal.