A chief suspect in the 1996 murder of former Taoyuan County commissioner Liu Pang-you (
Yang Shih-kang (
Police said Yang's escape appeared to be well-planned, and suspected that information had been leaked to Yang's accomplices about the investigation schedule yesterday.
Yang, who has a heavy criminal record, reportedly escaped to Cambodia after a police investigation linked him to the murder of Taoyuan County commissioner Liu Pang-you.
Yang was arrested in July, however, after he snuck back into Taiwan with a heavy cache of weapons and ammunitions. The weapons included an Uzi submachine gun and a shotgun.
Since then, Yang has helped police find two more guns he had hidden in various places around Taoyuan. Yesterday, police were taking him to Yangmei township to find another Chinese AK-47 rifle he claimed to have hidden there.
Police immediately launched a search operation after Yang's escape, but found no trace of him. Police say they are concerned that he may flee the country again with the help of illegal smuggling rings, or possibly commit even more crimes with the heavy arsenal apparently at his disposal.
Liu and eight other people, including two county councilors, were shot execution-style in his house in Taoyuan on Nov. 24, 1996. A number of suspects have been detained since the slaying, but the case remains unsolved to this day, causing embarrassment for investigators.
Since the murder, allegations have surfaced regarding Liu's dealings with local businessmen involving both real estate and entertainment developments, and some have suggested that his killing may have been the result of a dispute with one of them over money.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College