Police on Monday arrested two men in Taoyuan on Monday on charges of firearms possession and suspicion of involvement in gang-related activity.
They said they found a cache of firearms and bullets when they arrested a 28-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳) and a 25-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃).
A “small arsenal” of weapons and tools was found in Huang’s car, when he was pulled over by police as he was driving from Taipei to Taoyuan to meet up with Chen, who was wanted by police on possession of illegal firearms charges, police said.
The two men are friends and are suspected of being involved in organized crime, police said, adding that Chen is allegedly a member of the Bamboo Union gang (竹聯幫), while Huang is allegedly a member of the Celestial Way gang (天道盟).
After arresting the two suspects, police searched Chen’s residence and allegedly found several modified handguns and gun parts, as well as tools and devices for modifying handguns and producing home-made bullets, including shell casings, cartridges, primers and other working parts.
They also allegedly found small pouches containing heroin and amphetamine.
A search of Huang’s car revealed several backpacks containing seven pistols, 13 unfinished handguns and a cache of bullets, police said.
In other developments yesterday, Yilan County prosecutors announced the successful apprehension of a local gang led by a man surnamed Lin (林) and the arrest of 21 other suspects.
Police said the gang, whose activity centered on Yilan’s Toucheng City (頭城), had been engaged in blackmail, debt collecting through violent means and forcing local businesses to pay protection money.
Prosecutors said the gang was made up of several young members, including Lin, who is 23 years old.
Lin recruited several high-school students for the gang, police said, adding that they are looking to charge the suspects with violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例).
Meanwhile, Taipei police said they had raided a local chapter of the Bamboo Union, where they were surprised to find a former gold medal winner in taekwondo at the national games among members of the group.
Taipei prosecutors said the Taipei-centered chapter targets school athletes, especially those involved in taekwondo, judo, boxing and other martial arts, for recruitment to deploy them in brawls, debt collection and extortion.
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