Police have arrested 16 people on suspicion that they colluded with foreign crime organizations to lure Taiwanese to Cambodia with false promises of high-paying jobs.
Taiwanese who have been rescued from confinement in Cambodia have reported being beaten or shocked, or physically abused in other ways by people running human trafficking operations at hotels and resorts in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.
One man surnamed Lin (林) reported that others had been sexually assaulted as well as accusations of organ harvesting.
Photo by Chiu Chun-fu, Taipei Times
Separately, a family in Hualien County told a news conference earlier this week that their 24-year-old son who went to Cambodia for work two months ago last month sent a message saying that he was being held by human traffickers.
His family said that they believe he has been killed for his organs and demanded that the government rescue others who might face similar treatment.
New Taipei City police officials yesterday said that 16 suspects have been detained, reportedly from three human trafficking rings with links to gangs.
One of the operations is allegedly run by members of the Heavenly Way Alliance triad.
Separately, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said that it had detained six people as part of an investigation into another ring allegedly led by Lin Cheng-hao (李振豪), 34, a leader of a major chapter of the Bamboo Union.
Evidence shows that Lin Cheng-hao’s group lured 82 Taiwanese jobseekers in the past three months, getting them on flights to Cambodia, where they were confined in prison-like conditions to make calls as telecommunications scammers, the CIB said.
Records show that the group received about NT$50 million (US$1.67 million) in commission for sending Taiwanese into “cyberslavery” in Cambodia, CIB officials said.
Authorities at yesterday’s news conference said that police units across Taiwan have conducted sweeps targeting 20 criminal groups believed to be engaging in human trafficking, with 67 people detained in the past few weeks.
“There have been 420 cases reported of Taiwanese likely being held against their will in Cambodia, with 46 having returned to Taiwan,” National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Huang Ming-chao (黃明昭) said. “There are 374 people who still cannot be contacted by their families and friends. We have launched efforts to rescue them.”
Work by airport police units to warn people about travel to Cambodia and cities elsewhere in Southeast Asia with placards and by speaking to people at departure gates dissuaded 28 people who had been planning to go abroad, he said.
Official data showed there are more than 4,600 Taiwanese in Cambodia, Huang said, although the majority are there on legitimate business or for personal reasons, he said, adding that local police stations have been asked to check household registration data for some people to confirm their whereabouts.
Huang said that reports have confirmed that organized crime syndicates in Taiwan are colluding with Chinese and Cambodian gangs.
Taiwanese law-enforcement agencies have contacted their foreign counterparts seeking assistance, including linking up with the FBI and police departments in Thailand, Huang said.
“Our police force and judicial agencies have made major efforts to communicate with local and foreign entities to rescue any Taiwanese affected by human trafficking in Cambodia, including cooperation with the private sector, Taiwanese business communities and religious organizations with a presence in Southeast Asia,” he said, adding that they are “exploring all possible channels to rescue them.”
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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