A dental clinic director suspected of helping more than 600 Chinese nationals illegally enter Taiwan was released on NT$1 million (US$30,722.44) bail this morning.
Pan Yun-shan (潘韞珊), head of Magic Dental Care (魔法牙醫診所), is one of ten individuals suspected of issuing false dental treatment plans as a pretense for the visitors to enter Taiwan and engage in illegal tourism, part-time work and sex work.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office worked with the Investigation Bureau and National Immigration Agency to question the 10 defendants.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
Clinic CEO Chen Yi-kai (陳繹凱) was released on NT$300,000 bail, physician Wang Li-an (王立安) and former physician Chiang Yueh-hsun (江岳勳) were each released on NT$200,000 bail, while assistant Chang Nai-yun (張乃勻) and travel agency head Hsiang Kuo-sheng (向國聖) each were bailed for NT$100,000.
Two travel agencies, Elephant Travel Company (飛向旅行社) and Yu Chin Travel Service (佑金旅行社) worked with the clinic to issue fake medical certificates to allow Chinese citizens to obtain entry permits under false pretenses, prosecutors said.
Nearly 700 Chinese citizens entered Taiwan in this way, prosecutors added.
Upon her release, Pan told reporters that her actions were an attempt to promote medical tourism and highlight Taiwan’s medical industry, adding that she attracted many foreign patients and denied all wrongdoing.
Pan’s clinic was part of the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s program aiming to attract medical tourists, prosecutors said.
The clinic allegedly helped Chinese citizens enter Taiwan illegally by issuing fake medical certificates between Dec. 2022 and May 2023 when entry restrictions were still in place during the Covid pandemic.
The travel agencies offered a streamlined “one-stop shop” service that handled all the necessary paperwork as long as individuals were willing to pay the fee, sources said.
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office searched nine locations yesterday, including Magic Dental Clinic, Pan’s residence and both travel agencies.
The suspects are being investigated for violations of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) and document forgery.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS