Police in Taipei said they have arrested three teenagers on suspicion of picking up a ransom demand for an alleged telecom fraud ring.
The three Taoyuan high-school students have been handed over to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning as investigators continue to search for the ringleaders, investigators said on Sunday.
A member of the ring on May 10 telephoned a woman surnamed Su (蘇), telling her that her son had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of NT$150,000 for his release, police said.
Su believed the caller and assembled NT$150,000 in cash, which she handed over to a girl at pre-arranged location in Taipei, police said.
Su later reported the incident to the police.
surveillance
Police located the female suspect on surveillance camera footage, and watched her take a taxi from the meeting in Taipei to Taoyuan Train Station, where she appeared to hand the money to two male teenagers on a motorcycle, investigators said.
Using the footage, investigators were able to identify all three suspects and were surprised to discover they were teenagers from a local high school.
The girl, a 15-year-old surnamed Hsieh (謝), said she was just an acquaintance of the other two suspects, a 16-year-old surnamed Lin (林) and a 17-year-old surnamed Liu (劉), investigators said.
DENIAL
All three suspects denied they were part of a fraud ring, saying that they had agreed to help a friend collect the money,and had each been promised NT$10,000 for their roles.
Investigators said they doubt their stories and intend to charge all three with fraud.
They are continuing to question Lin and Liu over their suspected relationship with a criminal ring.
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