The Control Yuan yesterday censured the National Police Ad-ministration and the Taipei City Police Headquarters for seriously damaging the police force's image of being capable of enforcing the law.
The damage to police respectability, according to the Control Yuan, resulted from scandals where it was found that some municipal policemen ran call-girl services and detained prostitutes to extort money from their managers during 2000 and 2001.
In addition, Control Yuan members also censured the two agencies for their failure to discipline the police force over the past five years. The Yuan says 1,511 police officers went to China, Hong Kong and Macao over the past 5 years without obtaining permission from the government.
In an investigative report that was released yesterday, Control Yuan members Chan Yi-chang (詹益彰), Kuo Shih-chi (郭石吉), Ko Min-mou (柯明謀), and Li You-chi (李友吉) pointed out that policemen Huang Hsin-chin (黃新進), Chiang Jen-tso (江仁佐) and Su Tang-yi (蘇唐儀) of the Ta-an police precinct, detective Lin Chia-fu (林家福) of the Chungshan police precinct and other officers were found to have engaged in illegal dealings. These dealings were mainly the detaining of prostitutes to extort money or the running of call-girl services during 2000 and 2001.
At least 10 policemen were proven to have been involved in the scandals though some cases are still being prosecuted.
The Taiwan government allows Chinese brides to enter Taiwan to visit their husbands after they get married. But criminal groups use young Taiwanese men to marry Chinese women and then bring them to Taiwan to become prostitutes and make money for them. In 2000 and 2001, it became evident that many policemen extorted money from this racket while they were actually supposed to clamp down on it.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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