The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) yesterday said it has seized NT$11.5 billion (US$354.6 million) in illegal remittances, as it warned that foreign actors are using remote funding, Internet betting and cognitive warfare to influence next year’s presidential and legislative elections.
Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) told a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statues Committee that the ministry had conducted joint operations with the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office from July 3 to July 12 and from Sept. 20 to Sept. 26, targeting underworld banking operators to cut off cash flows funding illicit activities within the nation’s borders.
The ministry detailed how offshore funding is being used, including making donations to candidates via Taiwanese businesspeople, contributing to temple charity events, using dummy accounts to “like” specific candidates’ posts and funneling funds to candidates through unregistered banks or cryptocurrency.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The MJIB is also to step up efforts to monitor Chinese coming to Taiwan on the pretext of “social interaction,” but who might be involved in attempts to influence the Jan. 13 elections or to conduct illegal activities, Tsai said.
When appropriate or necessary, it would launch investigations against individuals to deter foreign actors from using offshore funding to influence Taiwan’s political and financial activities, he added.
Separately, National Security Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director-General Hsu Hsi-hsiang (徐錫祥) yesterday said that the bureau is prepared to combat the use of deepfake technology by foreign actors to influence the elections.
The NSB has initiated a special project that incorporates other national security agencies to help affected ministries or agencies in issuing news releases to clarify the government’s stance and policies, Hsu said.
In addition, it is to train about 220 people to safeguard the presidential and vice presidential candidates, it said.
The teams would be assigned to the candidates once the registration process officially concludes on Nov. 24.
The NSB said it has included in its budget 220 bulletproof vests this year, along with 12 custom-made bulletproof vests and briefcases for the candidates and their running mates.
On Wednesday, the Central Election Commission (CEC) gave a demonstration of operations on the day of the elections, emphasizing the importance of polling station workers being able to handle emergencies.
The demonstration in Tainan covered the process for verifying a voter’s identity and casting ballots, as well as vote counting and how to respond in certain scenarios, such as a fire or the discovery of a suspicious package.
The ability of polling station workers to deal with unexpected situations is particularly important given the increasing competitiveness of election campaigns, CEC Chairperson Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) told city and county officials attending the demonstration.
The spread of false information and attacks from hostile foreign forces also mean that polling station workers need to strictly adhere to laws and regulations to avoid potential disputes, Lee said.
Local police also took part in Wednesday’s demonstration showing how to handle a range of situations, including individuals breaking the law by taking photographs or video recording voters within 30m of a polling station or leaving threatening notes in the station.
Additional reporting by CNA
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
TOKYO SUMMIT: The new Japanese PM’s words have demonstrated Japan’s ‘firm position on urging the prioritization of cross-strait peace,’ the foreign ministry said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for supporting peace in the Taiwan Strait, a day after the two at a summit in Tokyo emphasized the importance of regional stability and ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea today. The previous day’s meeting was the first time Takaichi had met with the US leader since becoming Japanese prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Since taking office on Tuesday last week, Takaichi has urged the international community to
RSS