Prosecutors yesterday launched an investigation into the death of cryptocurrency expert Miffy Chen (陳梅慧), who died in a car crash on Wednesday under what some consider to be suspicious circumstances following her work with law enforcement to track down NT$9.3 billion (US$286.97 million) in alleged illegal proceeds.
Prosecutor-General Hsing Tai-chao (邢泰釗) tasked the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office with investigating the incident following requests from the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and other agencies with which she worked to crack several prominent cases involving financial fraud and money laundering.
Chen was killed in a six-car pileup near Hsinchu in the northbound lanes of Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) early on Wednesday, after she and her boyfriend, a CIB detective surnamed Hsieh (謝), departed after a discussion with Taichung prosecutors over a criminal case the two were working on.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
Chen had advised the CIB, the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) and police agencies on 60 fraud cases this year, leading to the confiscation of NT$9.3 billion in alleged illegal proceeds, Taoyuan City Councilor Huang Ching-ping (黃敬平) said yesterday.
“We began to hear criminal groups ask about Chen’s background and personal information, and police reminded her about personal safety,” Huang said. “Hsieh, as a CIB officer, protected her when she traveled to and from work.”
Taoyuan City Councilor Huang Chiung-hui (黃瓊慧) said that Chen has also assisted in investigations into an online forum for sharing sexually explicit videos.
She also worked on a case involving online casino operator Kuo Che-min (郭哲敏), who ran the private club 88 Lounge and was indicted in a case involving NT$21.7 billion of laundered money, Huang Chiung-hui said, adding that Kuo was released last month after posting bail of NT$100 million.
Chen is a well-known figure in the industry, recognized as the top investigator of blockchain financial crimes.
She worked with XREX, Taiwan’s first registered cryptocurrency trading platform, which launched in 2018, as a financial crime investigator.
She also worked with the Judicial Reform Foundation and served as secretary on the presidential panel of the Judicial Reform Committee.
CIB Deputy Commissioner Huang Jen-tsung (黃壬聰) on Thursday said that most illegal cryptocurrency proceeds confiscated in criminal cases in the past few years were partly thanks to Chen.
“Victims of such scams are most concerned about getting their money back,” he said.
A task force for confiscating cryptocurrency was set up in April to specifically target digital wallets and online deposit safes to check into the origins and transactions, enable the freezing of funds and apply for confiscation, Huang Jen-tsung said, lauding Chen for volunteering her time to help with the work for the good of society.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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