The Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday sought 20-year prison sentences for two people accused of running a Kaohsiung-based scam group that defrauded 72 people out of NT$68.6 million (US$2.2 million) of cryptocurrency.
The suspects were indicted for contraventions under the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act (詐欺犯罪危害防制條例), the Criminal Code and the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法).
The office’s fraud prevention center launched an investigation into the case after it was alerted that people were buying the cryptocurrency tether at higher rates than the prevailing exchange rate.
Photo: Reuters
Center head prosecutor Su Heng-yi (蘇恒毅) and prosecutor Kuo Chun (郭郡) found that the tether was transferred into an anonymous wallet designated by the scam group, before it was moved against to another location.
After tracing the cryptocurrency, the center discovered that the group allegedly used nine accounts on the Line messaging app to pose as legitimate crypto dealers, the indictment said.
In March, judicial authorities detained 15 people, including the alleged leaders of the group, surnamed Yang (楊) and Liu (劉), alongside operators of the Line groups, money mules and money launderers.
The center requested that the Kaohsiung District Court detain Yang and Liu, as well confiscate a NT$38 million building under the group’s name in Kaohsiung’s Wusong District (烏松), NT$9.22 million in cash, a Porsche electric vehicle and jewelry.
Prosecutors said they asked for a heavier sentence for Yang and Liu as they showed no remorse for their alleged crimes.
Prosecutors asked for the remaining suspects be sentenced to six years or more in prison.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
RSS