The passport used by the main suspect in a recent kidnap-and-murder case when he fled to Thailand was annulled immediately after the Bureau of Consular Affairs was notified of the case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The bureau annulled the passport used by Hsieh Yuan-hsin (謝源信) on Thursday last week, ministry spokeswoman Anna Kao (高安) said.
The nation’s representative office in Thailand will make every effort to work with related law enforcement agencies on the case as the investigation continues, Kao added.
Taiwan is seeking assistance from Thai authorities under an agreement on cooperation in fighting crime signed by the two countries early last year, a Taiwanese diplomat based in Bangkok said.
Hsieh fled to Thailand using the passport — obtained under his cousin’s name — on Monday last week after allegedly kidnapping Greater Taichung-based tycoon Shih Chia-chin (施家金) earlier that day.
The decomposing body of the 57-year-old businessman was found in the mountains in Greater Tainan on Sunday.
Shih was apparently kidnapped by Hsieh, who had worked for the victim as his chauffeur for more than four years, police said.
He was abducted on Aug. 18 after he was picked up by Hsieh at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport upon his return from a trip to the US, they said.
Hsieh and his accomplices told Shih to tell his family to transfer NT$30 million (US$1 million) to a bank account designated by his kidnappers, they said.
The transfer was made, but after seeing no sign of Shih, the family called the police later that day for help.
The police found the vehicles used by the suspected kidnappers several days before finding Shih’s body in a remote area.
Two suspects in the businessman’s death were arrested on Monday by police in Pingtung and Yunlin counties.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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