The alleged head of the so-called “temple master” human trafficking ring, which allegedly smuggled Chinese women into Taiwan to work as prostitutes, was repatriated to Taiwan yesterday as part of cross-strait judicial efforts.
The fugitive, surnamed Tsai (蔡), was arrested last month in Liouzhou, Guangxi Province, by Chinese authorities, along with his accomplice, a man surnamed Chan (詹).
After the Taoyuan District Prosecutors’ Office issued arrest warrants for the men for human trafficking and other illegal activities, the two men fled to China.
The return of the Taiwanese suspects from China to Taiwan was conducted under the Agreement on Joint Cross-Strait Crime Fighting and Mutual Judicial Assistance, signed by the two countries in April 2009.
Through the procedures established in the agreement, five officials from the Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and the National Immigration Agency headed to Xiamen in China’s Fujian Province yesterday.
They took the fugitives into custody and transported them to Kinmen, and then to Taiwan proper.
The two men were arraigned and remain in custody at the Taoyuan Prosecutors’ Office.
MJIB officials said the “temple master” ring was headed by Tsai, who allegedly operated the prostitution and trafficking ring from 2004 until last year.
Tsai’s method was allegedly to go to rural villages of China’s Guangxi and Guizhou provinces to look for his victims, luring them with promises of jobs in Taiwan.
Tsai then made the women enter into false marriages with Taiwanese men.
Once the Chinese women were brought to Taiwan, Tsai demanded that they repay the debt incurred for their transport and marriage licenses, which the victims were forced to do by performing up to 200 sex acts with customers.
Officials said the customers paid about NT$2,300 per service, of which the women received about NT$1,100, with rest of the money going to the suspects.
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