Law enforcement officials yesterday announced the results of a crackdown on organized crime and illegal loan operations, including raids on eight illegal weapons shops and 58 illegal money-lending businesses that saw hundreds of people questioned.
Among those who were detained is a man surnamed Tao (陶), the suspect in a shooting incident on June 14 in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖), Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Deputy Commissioner Chu Tsung-tai (朱宗泰) said.
Tao was apprehended on Friday in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) and was in possession of a modified pistol and three rounds of ammunition, Chu said.
Photo: Yao Yue-hung, Taipei Times
The weapon was one of 51 illegal firearms — including rifles smuggled into Taiwan via gang networks, handguns and airsoft guns modified to use firearm ammunition — seized in the week-long operation, Chu said.
The raids were conducted to safeguard the public after a spate of violence and gun-related incidents in the past few weeks, he said.
“Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) instructed law enforcement units to crack down on major gang syndicates and their local chapters, while also conducting searches of loan shark operations, gambling dens, illegal weapons shops and other places associated with criminal activities,” Chu said.
“We detained 38 suspects for alleged possession of illegal firearms or modification of weapons, while six top gang figures and 29 of their subordinates were detained,” he said. “Ten people were detained over alleged violence and other offenses linked to debt collection.”
Twenty-five people were detained at seven illegal banking operations, and investigators found records showing about NT$1.4 billion (US$44.9 million) in transactions, he said.
Police seized Maseratis, BMWs, Mercedes-Benzes and other luxury cars presumably taken as collateral from people taking out loans, Chu said.
The operation also included raids on premises suspected of providing sex services, Taipei City Police Department Chief Chen Chia-chang (陳嘉昌) said.
“We targeted premises that have been reported to offer illegal sexual services and many of them are likely controlled by gangs,” Chen said. “The authorities will make every effort to revoke their business licenses, and cut off water and electricity services to them so they are forced to shut down, which will help stem criminal activities at the source.”
CIB officials said that they raided an illegal weapons shop in Hsinchu City on Thursday, detaining a man surnamed Chen (陳).
Officers found a modified handgun and six airsoft rifles that the man was allegedly in the process of converting to shoot standard ammunition, the CIB officials said.
In Changhua County on Friday, police detained a man surnamed Hung (洪) on suspicion that he operated an illegal weapons shop.
A modified handgun, two shotguns and an unspecified amount of ammunition were recovered, along with tools and parts for firearms, police said.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
RSS