Police last night arrested 16 people who allegedly impersonated security personnel to break into Kaohsiung’s Park One International Hospital, overpowering security guards, breaking equipment, and scaring patients and medical personnel.
The group’s alleged leaders, a 48-year-old woman surnamed Juan (阮) and her 34-year-old younger brother, allegedly threatened to overpower the hospital’s security team, and claimed ownership of the hospital and its equipment.
Initial investigations found that none of those arrested were licensed security guards at the hospital, police said.
Photo courtesy of a member of the public
Reports said that a similar incident occurred at the hospital several months ago, although it is yet to be confirmed if the two events were related and whether it is linked to gang activity.
The Kaohsiung Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Corps and Zuoying Precinct have formed a task force to pursue the case as a potential organized crime incident, they said.
The Juan siblings allegedly tricked security staff to open the door in the early hours of this morning, then led in a group of about 20 people in black clothes. A physical altercation later broke out with the hospital’s official security guards.
Using their strength in numbers, the group gained control of the hospital and damaged equipment in the information technology room, witnesses said.
When police arrived, they requested that the group leave the premises and called the hospital’s director and another doctor to mediate.
Tensions escalated, as the doctors and the intruders began shouting at each other and making accusations, and failed to reach a resolution.
The hospital filed criminal complaints against the group for theft, property damage, and breaking and entering.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) requested Kaohsiung Police Commissioner Lin Yen-tien (林炎田) to take over the case.
Meanwhile, the Kaohsiung Health Bureau said it would fine the Juan siblings under the Medical Care Act (醫療法) if any property was found to be damaged or if they disrupted patient care.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over