Taiwan Quick Take: Fake gun-seller arrested

Police in Kaohsiung announced yesterday the arrest of a fraudster who sold replica firearms as real guns through the Internet and cheated at least 20 buyers out of nearly NT$500,000 (US$15,300). A spokesman said that police arrested Koh Chao-chin (柯朝欽), 44, in an operation on Saturday and seized a number of replica handguns and submachine guns, along with toy rifle grenades. The spokesman said Koh had posted a notice on the Internet saying that he owned a variety of firearms, including rocket launchers, and would offer low prices to interested buyers. Buyers attracted by the apparent bargain prices remitted money to Koh's bank account, paying NT$20,000 for a handgun and NT$100,000 for a rocket launcher, but Koh never delivered the goods. When buyers began to phone Koh to demand delivery, he sent them photos through the Internet showing himself in handcuffs, along with a message that he was now in police custody for selling firearms and that police were trying to find out who the buyers were.