Police in the greater Taipei area last week arrested a CTBC bank clerk and nine other people on suspicion of fraud, extortion and money laundering.
Judicial investigators said a CTBC clerk surnamed Chu (朱), 26, allegedly worked with a criminal ring led by a woman surnamed Lin (林), 39.
Seven of those arrested face charges of money laundering and fraud under the Criminal Code and and the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例), Taoyuan prosecutor Lee Pei-hsuan (李佩宣) said on Saturday.
Photo: Tyrone Siu, Reuters
Chu allegedly contravened the bank’s cash transfer and deposit limit of NT$500,000 (US$16,289) per day to allow Lin to transfer up to NT$30 million per day to assist alleged kidnapping, extortion and other criminal activities, Lee said.
Raids and arrests on Thursday were conducted in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taoyuan, as well as at CTBC branches in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋) and Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖), where Chu is employed.
After several suspects were questioned and their telephone records examined, police raided other locations, including one in Chiayi City where six kidnapping victims were rescued, Lee said.
The six were jobseekers who responded to employment advertisements and were allegedly held captive by Lin’s accomplices after appearing for a job interview, she said.
“Police and judicial investigators launched successful operations to rescue six victims who were forced to provide their bank account information to Lin’s criminal group to illegally deposit and transfer money as part of fraud and money laundering schemes,” Lee said.
A total of NT$22 million in CTBC account assets connected with the crime ring were frozen as of Saturday, Lee said.
CTBC released a statement following the searches and arrests at its branches.
“Our employees at two greater Taipei bank branches fully cooperated with judicial investigators and police to provide the materials and documents that were requested. They also cooperated during questioning and provided the information that was asked for,” the statement said.
CTBC is cooperating with the investigation, it added.
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