Law-enforcement authorities have arrested hundreds of suspected gang members and seized more than 50 illegal firearms after a major nationwide sweep to clamp down on criminal activities, the National Police Agency announced yesterday.
Agency officials said that it was the fourth major joint campaign by law-enforcement agencies to crack down on organized crime as well as deter violence and vote-buying ahead of the Nov. 26 local elections.
Forty-five major criminal figures were among 269 people arrested on suspicion of engaging in criminal activities, with authorities seizing 52 illegal firearms, ammunition and NT$4.23 million (US$131,415) in cash during raids, Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Li Hsi-ho (李西河) said.
Photo: Chiu Chun-fu, Taipei Times
“We targeted major organized crime syndicates and local gangs, as their illegal conduct and use of violence endanger society and erode public safety,” Li said.
The major criminal figures include Wu Chin-hu (吳金虎), honorary head of the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP) and allegedly the head of the Earth Tiger Chapter of the Bamboo Union gang, along with his wife, Lee Chia-wei (李家葳), director of the CUPP’s Ying Cheng chapter in Taichung.
The CUPP is known for its close ties to major organized crime syndicates, as its founder, Chang An-le (張安樂), also known as White Wolf, was a reported former member of the Bamboo Union.
Wu and Lee are suspected of being involved in illegal lending and using threats and violence to intimidate borrowers, Li said.
The couple allegedly held a man, surnamed Liu (劉), who owed NT$4 million in online gambling, threatening to shoot him before ordering their subordinates to beat him up, Li said.
Liu was forced to sign a check for NT$4 million before he was released, Li added.
The couple and their subordinates are also suspected of assaulting law-enforcement officials and members of the public during the Dajia Matsu pilgrimage in Changhua City, resulting in three police officers and dozens of civilians being injured, he said.
Police officials said that major figures from other Bamboo Union local chapters, along with leaders of the Sun Chapter and Righteousness Chapter of the Heavenly Way Alliance, were also arrested.
“One of those arrested was Hsu Wen-lung (許文龍), head of the Heaven Dragon Chapter of the Bamboo Union. Hsu ordered his son to recruit young men to join the chapter and run scam operations,” Li said.
The scams included gang members posing as women on social media and uploading sexually explicit images and pornographic videos to lure men into wiring money, police officials said.
An investigation found 28 victims of the scams, with the gang taking in more than NT$1 million, the officials said.
Hsu, his son and seven gang members have been arrested, and are facing charges of fraud, money laundering and involvement in organized crime.
In related developments, police have questioned Cheng Chien-hsin (鄭建炘), a Taiwan Communist Party Taipei city councilor candidate, over vote-buying allegations.
Other Taipei city councilor candidates have called for an investigation, alleging that Cheng and other pro-China candidates running in local districts secretly receive illegal funding from Chinese sources.
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