Taiwan Quick Take: Violent gangster indicted

Prosecutors yesterday recommended a 10-year prison term for a gangster allegedly involved in selling modified arms and collecting debts through violent means. According to Wang Chieh-tuo (王捷拓), a prosecutor at the Taichung Prosecutors' Office who is conducting the investigation, Chan Yi-shin (詹益鑫), head of the "Green Grass Gang" in the Miaoli area, was arrested by police in April in Miaoli and found with a batch of firearms in his possession. Police and prosecutors also discovered that Lee Ching-lung (李金龍), a captain serving in the military police in Miaoli, maintained close contacts with Chan, who sometimes hid his weapons in Lee's dormitory, Wang said. He added that Lee, who was good at modifying arms, frequently asked Chan to sell modified pistols for him at a cost of NT$30,000 to NT$60,000 each. Lee has been arrested by the military police for his suspected role in a kidnapping case. He is now being questioned by military prosecutors. Prosecutors were also seeking a five-year term for Tsai Shih-min (蔡仕閩), an accomplice of Chan.