Authorities have arrested a retired colonel for allegedly passing on military information to China in return for money and sex.
The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors’ Office said that they raided the Pingtung County residence of a retired colonel surnamed Lan (藍) last month and have sufficient evidence to charge him with breaches of the National Security Act (國家安全法) and offenses against state security.
The judiciary, military intelligence and police agencies formed a task force two years ago to investigate Lan after allegations that he was recruited to work for China after his retirement and went to work at a textile factory in Dongguan City in China’s Guangdong Province.
Lan graduated from the National Defense University’s Management College in 1982 and supervised education and training programs at the university to cultivate unit commanders and officers.
He retired in 1996.
Lan secured an executive position at the Dongguan textile factory with a monthly salary of NT$90,000.
After divorcing his wife, he allegedly frequented hostess nightclubs and had relationships with several women while living in China, the Chinese-language Mirror Media reported.
Knowing his habits, Chinese intelligence officials targeted Lan by using women to seduce him and arranged the position for him at the textile factory, authorities said.
Investigators said that documents show Lan passed on the personal information of six colonels and lieutenant colonels, as well as other university officers and military unit members, to China.
Lan allegedly also passed on other classified military materials provided by his former colleagues, and that he had agreed to develop a spy network in Taiwan to conduct espionage for China.
Lan, 58, has denied the allegations, authorities said.
Lan’s time at the university helped him establish links with young officers who went on to work in the Military Intelligence Bureau, the National Security Bureau and the Military Security Brigade’s counterintelligence section, and the military might have been considerably compromised, prosecutors said.
Lan returned to Taiwan in 2016, and investigators, after receiving tip-offs about his espionage activities, put him under surveillance.
It was believed that he was being instructed by Beijing to contact former colleagues and friends to develop a spy network in Taiwan’s intelligence agencies and various top military units.
Raids were conducted last month, but due to the sensitive nature of the case, authorities only released the information recently.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS