Authorities in Changhua County yesterday arrested four people accused of running an underground election gambling ring and confiscating NT$1.19 million (US$38,137).
After receiving a tip-off, county prosecutors coordinated with police to surveil and raid three locations, arresting the primary suspects at their residences, Changhua County Deputy Chief Prosecutor Huang Shu-yuan (黃淑媛) said.
The suspects were offering odds and payouts for wagers on votes for presidential candidates, updating the odds based on the latest election news, Huang said.
Photo: Chen Kuan-bei, Taipei Times
“Their actions are quite damaging, affecting impartiality for holding a fair election,” she said.
The suspects face gambling charges under the Criminal Code and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法).
The suspects are a 62-year-old man surnamed Huang (黃), believed to be the leader of the operation, along with a man surnamed Peng (彭), 70, and two women, surnamed Yang (楊), 53, and Chen (陳), 45.
After questioning, Huang was released on bail of NT$100,000, while the other suspects were released on NT$30,000 bail.
The Ministry of Justice is providing a reward of NT$1 million for information leading to the arrest of underground betting rings with more than 40 members and with a betting pool of more than NT$1 million, the government announced earlier this month.
Informants could receive an additional NT$100,000 for every 10 percent increase in the number of members involved above 40 capped at NT$500,000.
Those reporting on an election gambling ring involving more than NT$5 million could receive an additional NT$50,000 for every additional NT$5 million in betting funds found, capped at NT$500,000.
People who report interference by foreign forces in the presidential election could receive a reward of up to NT$10 million. Informants would receive an additional NT$1 million for each additional person reported, up to a maximum of NT$20 million.
The Changhua County Prosecutors’ Office said that authorities would protect whistle-blowers’ identities in cases leading to arrests.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS