Investigators probing Internet crimes have shut down 37 Web sites and arrested 32 suspects since the end of March, officials said yesterday.
The Taipei District Prosecutors' Office (台北地檢署) and the Criminal Investigation Bureau (刑事局) launched the nationwide crackdown at the end of March.
The suspects who have been detained allegedly operated a variety of illegal Web sites -- including 17 commercial MP3 Web sites, Web sites that enable the pirating of copyrighted music and sites that sell pornographic VCDs or DVDs.
"We have kept our eyes on these Web sites for a long time, but MP3 Web sites are growing and offering a larger variety of services," said a investigation bureau official, who requested anonymity.
Three well-known MP3 sites that were shut down were "MP3 Bug," "God Bless U" and "The Clumsy Hunter's Forest."
Officials said "MP3 Bug" helped surfers burn their own CDs. For NT$200, music fans could compile the content of 12 to 15 CDs of any single artist onto one CD. For NT$500, surfers could burn a CD containing hundreds of songs from a variety of artists.
The crackdown follows closely the seizure of 14 computers belonging to Chengkung University (
Many of the 32 suspects who were arrested are repeat offenders, officials said. According to police, one suspect operated as many as eight Web sites that sold MP3 CDs, pirated music and pornographic VCDs and DVDs.
The suspect was arrested by Kaohsiung police last month for allegedly violating copyrights. According to authorities, the suspect has raked in at least NT$5 million in the past three years.
Another suspect, a university student, was arrested twice before his most recent arrest. The suspect's three cases are still pending.
Officials estimate that Taiwan's pirated CD market was worth an estimated NT$3 billion last year and has forced the closure of more than 10 music companies.
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