Taichung District Prosecutors' Office yesterday arrested a group of alleged criminals that included local gangsters and retired policemen from China.
The suspects allegedly robbed a bank and two gambling halls over the past few months in southern Taiwan.
An initial investigation conducted by prosecutor Chen Sung-chi (
Chen said that more people might be involved, and that the investigation is ongoing.
Police said the gun-toting group robbed the An Tie Commercial Bank (
Yesterday's arrest of Ding Hao (
The two suspects from China denied that they were retired policemen.
Police here in Taiwan will seek to verify their status with the assistance of the Straits Exchange Foundation.
On March 6, a branch of An Tie Commercial Bank in Fengyuan was robbed of NT$207,000 by two masked gunmen, police said, but none of the fingerprints of locals on file matched those obtained from the crime scene.
From footprints found at the crime scene, police believe that the shoes worn by the gunmen were a variety produced in Taiwan some 20 years ago, production of which has long been discontinued in the country.
In addition, the AK 47 assault rifle -- the weapon used by the suspects -- is one of the principal weapons of China's People's Liberation Army.
From these clues, police concluded that the criminals could be from China.
In addition, police received a tip-off that two retired policemen from China had teamed up with a local criminal group and robbed several gambling halls in southern Taiwan.
Members of the crime group often gambled in the halls, police said. If they won, they would leave peacefully. If they lost, however, they would rob the hall.
Police say that the group has robbed two gambling halls in Yunlin County, shooting several people in one incident.
A bullet retrieved from one of the victims helped police determine that the gun used in the hold-up was an AK 47.
In June, police arrested three members of the alleged gang. Yesterday's arrest of three alleged gangsters at their residence in Hsiayi County came following a tip-off.
Police are seeking to establish the status of the two PRC nationals and their motivations for coming to Taiwan.
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