Police yesterday arrested the suspect in the killing of a gang boss in New Taipei City on Tuesday.
Police said they tracked down the suspect, Hsu Wan-chen (許萬珍), 54, with the aid of streetside security cameras and from tipoffs. They raided an apartment in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊) and caught Hsu, who was sleeping.
Hsu on Tuesday allegedly ambushed and killed Huang Chao-chun (黃紹峻), 35, a local boss of the Heavenly Way Gang (天道盟), one of the nation’s major underworld syndicates.
Hsu allegedly owed NT$4 million (US$122,093) in gambling debts to Huang and another man, Lu Yu-lung (呂亞龍), 35, who operates a gambling den in Taoyuan.
Police quoted Hsu as saying that he was beaten up by Huang and other Heavenly Way Gang members on Monday when they tried to collect the money he owed.
New Taipei City Police Department vice squad captain Liu Tsung-chih (劉崇智) said Hsu promised to meet and pay them on Tuesday night at a place in Sinjhuang.
Hsu said he went to the designated meeting place to hide and lay an ambush. He watched as the two men arrived in a luxury sedan to collect their money, Liu said.
As the two men got out of the car, Hsu dashed up to fire his handgun and shot Huang in the chest, while Lu ran after hearing the shot, with Hsu in pursuit and firing at least eight more shots, Liu said.
After being taken to a hospital, Huang was pronounced dead from massive loss of blood from a single bullet wound to his chest.
Since it was a busy commercial area with KTV lounges and night clubs, police said it was fortunate no bystanders were wounded when Hsu went after Lu.
“It was horrifying; there was gunfire and bullets flying,” one resident was quoted as saying. “We were scared and are still worried whether it is safe to go out on the streets.”
Liu said the police went into full alert to apprehend Hsu, as the Heavenly Way Gang has issued a call to all its members to track down Hsu to avenge Huang’s death.
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