Taipei, April 21 (CNA) The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) announced at a press conference on Wednesday the largest haul of cannabis plants ever seized in Taiwan, along with the arrest of two key suspects.

Some 500 of the plants -- part of a total of 1,608 seized during a raid last month on a farm in a mountainous area of Hsinchu County's Guanxi Township -- were displayed at the news conference, which was presided over by Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang.

Acting on a tip-off that a Taoyuan-based drug ring was growing the cannabis in neighboring Hsinchu, a task force composed of MJIB agents from Taipei and Taoyuan and New Taipei police, led by Taoyuan Prosecutor Yeh Yi-fa, raided the farm and a production facility in Taoyuan.

The raid turned up the 1,608 cannabis plants with a market value of NT$500 million (US$17.86 million) that were being cultivated in a greenhouse, MJIB officers told the news conference.

Two major suspects identified by their surnames of Yu and Chiu were apprehended later following the raid, they added.