Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday commended 10 Taipei Police Department officers who helped solve the theft of more than NT$83 million (US$2.59 million) from First Commercial Bank ATMs, saying that young officers are important with crimes involving technology on the rise.
A task force of 10 officers established to investigate the case received a reward of NT$300,000 from Ko yesterday at a Taipei City Government policy meeting.
Officer Sung Chun-liang (宋俊良), who was off duty on Sunday when he saw one of the suspects — Latvian Andrejs Peregudovs — at a restaurant in Yilan’s Dongau (東澳) area and tipped off the local police, received an additional NT$20,000.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Ko praised Sung for going beyond the call of duty and playing a crucial role in solving the case.
“He stayed vigilant and sharp even when he was on a trip with his wife and children,” Ko said. “He could have said it was his day off and done nothing.”
The mayor underlined the role of young officers in criminal cases involving new technologies, saying that their older counterparts might have to rely on them to solve crimes sometimes.
The international fraud ring that hacked into First Commercial Bank’s ATMs had committed crimes in several countries before “hitting a snag” in Taipei, indicating that the city’s capacity to tackle intricate crimes has improved, Ko said.
He also lauded the city’s network of surveillance cameras that helped identify other key suspects in the heist, adding that he had instructed Taipei Police Department Commissioner Chiu Feng-kuang (邱豐光) to confer with information technology colleges at several universities to devise ways to boost the efficiency of the city’s network.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
RSS