Authorities tightened security measures yesterday after the Taipei City Police Department received an e-mail signed by “Aryan Nations” on Wednesday that said “devastating chemicals” would be placed in landmark buildings, such as Taipei 101, Shin Kong Life Tower, Kaohsiung’s Tuntex Sky Tower and the Chang-Gu World Trade Center.
Initial investigations showed that the roughly 100-word e-mail in English was sent from the US.
National Security Council -Secretary-General Hu Wei-chen (胡為真) said both President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the council had been informed of the e-mailed terror threat.
Photo: CNA
“An initial investigation shows the threat could be a hoax,” Hu said.
Nevertheless, the Taipei City Police Department said it had informed the National Police Agency and related parties of the e-mailed threat.
Taipei 101 said yesterday it had increased security personnel and monitoring, but not to an extent that would inconvenience its tenants and visitors.
“We have increased our security patrol to one-and-a-half to two times the normal strength and we will check each floor every one to two hours, instead of the usual four-hourly checks,” said Michael Liu (劉家豪), spokeman for Taipei Financial Center Corp, which owns the building. “At this stage, we will not enforce body searches for office workers and visitors because we don’t want to inconvenience our customers, as the credibility of the threat has not yet been confirmed.”
About 12,000 people work in the Taipei 101 tower and between 8,000 and 10,000 people visit the shopping mall every day.
With the approach of the mall’s eighth anniversary, the number of daily shoppers could reach 15,000, according to Taipei 101.
Taipei 101 has a security department that maintains contact with the Taipei City Police Department and it would ask for additional help if necessary, Liu said.
Meanwhile, Shin Kong Life Insurance Co, owner of the Shin Kong Life Tower in Taipei, said it had raised its alert levels after being informed by police of the threat.
“We have taken some measures to improve security, including increased control and monitoring of access, but we don’t want people to panic,” Shin Kong Life senior vice president Sunny Hsu (徐舜鋆) said.
Greater Kaohsiung Deputy Mayor Chen Chi-yu (陳啟昱) said yesterday the city government had activated its anti-terrorist security system.
Officials sent personnel to collaborate with security guards at major commercial skyscrapers in the city to strengthen security, he said, adding: “We also stepped up scrutiny of inbound and outbound passenger lists to identify suspicious travelers.”
The city implemented an anti-terrorist security mechanism when it hosted the 2009 World Games and Chen said the local government would follow the existing standard procedures to maintain law and order and nip any security threat in the bud.
Hotel operators inside major commercial buildings cited in the threatening e-mail said they had increased security.
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