Authorities issued an “all points bulletin” yesterday to track down Chen Fu-hsiang (陳福祥), who is suspected of shooting and killing two men in Taipei on Tuesday. Police also released details that indicated the murder case was tied to disputes over drug deals and money between rival gangs.
Judicial officials initiated a manhunt and measures were taken to prevent Chen from fleeing the nation after forensic evidence enabled investigators to identify him as responsible for the double murder of two men surnamed Tsai at a car park in Taipei’s Ximending (西門町).
Chen is said to belong to the Bu Dao chapter (不倒堂) of the Heavenly Way Gang (天道盟), one of the nation’s major triads. He allegedly shot the two victims at close range “execution-style” with a 9mm handgun, which was outfitted with a silencer.
Police yesterday updated details in information released the previous day, describing the 37-year-old, 1.8m tall Chen as a toughened criminal active in the Heavenly Way Gang with prior convictions for robbery, larceny and illegal drugs and firearms offenses.
He was instructed to kill the two young men from Greater Taichung in order to pocket NT$5 million (US$157,300) from a drug deal between two gangs, according to a spokesperson at Wanhua Police Precinct.
Chen, reportedly known as “Brother Fu” (福哥) to fellow gang members, is described as a highly dangerous hitman, since he reportedly always carries two handguns with him.
More details of the case emerged after investigators interviewed the families and associates of the two victims, Tsai Tsung-yu (蔡宗育) and Tsai Kai-yang (蔡鎧陽), aged 24 and 21, who were friends, not cousins as previously reported.
Investigators said the victims drove their car from Taichung to Taipei on Monday with the money to buy ketamine and other illegal drugs worth about NT$5 million.
They were accompanied by a middleman who facilitated the drug deal, Greater Taichung gangland boss Chen Wei-yu (陳威宇), who drove separately to Taipei in his Porsche, police said.
According to police reports, the night before the murder in Ximending, the three men met up with Chen Fu-hsiang and headed to a hostess bar for entertainment, to drink and negotiate details of the drug deal.
Chen Wei-yu returned to Taichung on Tuesday.
He was questioned by police following the murders and listed as a related party with a role in the case.
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