Taiwanese law enforcement agencies working in concert with their US counterparts have busted an international prostitution ring, which allegedly had a female proprietor surnamed Tai (戴) heading up the operation to supply escorts, and several suspects were taken in for questioning by prosecutors yesterday.
Judicial officials said the prostitution ring allegedly contravened international laws against human trafficking, because an investigation revealed that some of the call girls flew to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the US and Australia to provide sexual services or as “business trip companions,” mostly for businessmen and other wealthy clientele.
Three women with alleged involvement were summoned for questioning at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday night, including the female proprietor, Tai Chun-yi (戴君儀), model agency manager Chung Yi-tzu (鍾宜姿) and Johanne Liou (劉喬安), whose good looks led the local media to dub her the “Sunflower Queen” during her participation in the Sunflower movement last year.
Photo: screen grab from FaceBook
After questioning, the three, who prosecutors suspected of violating the Human Trafficking Prevention Act (人口販運防制法), were released yesterday morning with bail set at NT$500,000 (US$15,297), NT$250,000 and NT$50,000 respectively.
The prosecutors followed up by summoning a number of suspects and witnesses for questioning yesterday afternoon, who included a female model who starred as the lead and spokesperson in an advertising campaign for a computer game, and other models and starlets said to be working in the entertainment industry.
Because some of the women said they were not working of their own free will and had been threatened, the investigation has proceeded based on the suspicion that Tai, Liou and others were engaged in cross-border human trafficking.
Reports said US authorities informed Taiwan of the ring’s existence through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).
In response to media queries, AIT official Joseph Bookbinder said he would not comment on individual cases, but he did say that Taiwan and the US work together to fight crime.
Officials at the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said that after a tip-off by US agencies, they monitored Tai’s activities and financial transactions for the past six months, before concluding that Tai operated the ring in Taiwan, but with powerful backers and the real masterminds in China.
Officials said Tai provided Taiwanese starlets, models and showgirls as “business trip companions” for wealthy clientele from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and also for overseas Chinese living in US, Australia and other countries.
It is reported the sex workers sometimes spent between three days and a week abroad, with their clients paying between NT$500,000 and NT$2 million, and would also usually pay for business-class airfare tickets, five-star hotel billets, restaurant dining and other expenses for the escorts during their trips.
CIB officials said Tai would receive a 50 percent commission for each of the transactions, and estimated that she had made more than NT$100 million in the past year.
Additional reporting by CNA
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS