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.
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