The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the conviction of eight people for developing a spy network for China, and rejected appeals against the verdict. The High Court in August last year found them guilty of carrying out espionage activities in exchange for a monetary reward.
Three officers from the 601st Brigade of Aviation and Special Forces Command, Lieutenant Colonel Hsieh Meng-shu (謝孟書), and junior officers Ho Hsin-ju (何信儒) and Kang Yi-pin (康奕彬), were handed prison sentences of nine years, seven years and four months, and seven years and two months respectively.
Hsieh and several others, including 601st Brigade junior officer Lu Chun-fang (陸駿方), had filmed videos saying that they would surrender to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army if there is a war, in exchange for money, the court said.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Hsieh was promised US$1.5 million in cryptocurrency to fly a CH-47 Chinook helicopter to China’s Shandong (山東) aircraft carrier, the court filing said.
People with knowledge of the plot tipped off the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Political Warfare Bureau, which led to the arrest of Hsieh and his coconspirators, it added.
The case could be traced back to two Taiwanese businesspeople working in China, Hsieh Ping-cheng (謝秉成) and Chen Yu-hsin (陳裕炘), who are both retired army personnel. They agreed to develop a Chinese spy network in Taiwan to obtain classified military information, and to recruit friends and colleagues in active service, in exchange for financial rewards.
Beginning in 2021, Chen and Hsieh recruited several officers, such as army major Hsiao Yi-yun (蕭翔云), and members of the 601st Brigade and other units, including the trio, Hung Jui-yang (洪睿洋), Liu Li-chi (劉立齊) and army officer Wu Chih-peng (吳志鵬).
Wu was later acquitted of all charges.
In yesterday’s verdict, Hsiao received a 13-year prison sentence, Hung got nine years, Lu received a term of five years and six months, Liu received an 18-month sentence, while Hsieh Ping-cheng was handed eight years.
Chen failed to turn up in court. Reports indicate he had fled to China, so an arrest bulletin has been issued for him.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
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