A total of 106 people have been indicted and 43 plots of land seized in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District (美濃) in connection to the illegal excavation of gravel pits later backfilled with construction waste, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office said today.
The office in a news release said it has concluded its investigation into the so-called “Grand Canyon of Meinong” (美濃大峽谷).
Prosecutors said the excavated area was double the size of Kaohsiung’s Chengching Lake Baseball Stadium and averages 15m deep.
Photo courtesy of the Ciaotou District Prosecutors' Office
The sites were filled with foul, stagnant water, polluting the surrounding farmland, they said.
The excavation-and-backfill scheme earned illegal profits estimated at NT$300 million (US$9.54 million), they added.
Prosecutors said they received a tip off in August last year that multiple areas in Meinong had been extensively excavated, creating large canyon-like pits.
Since Aug. 27, authorities have carried out 14 waves of searches and arrests, investigating a total of 57 suspects and applying to the court to detain 21 of them, they said.
The suspects face pending charges under the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法) and the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例), they added.
Prosecutors said they had seized a total of NT$31.97 million in cash, 43 plots of land, 38 vehicles and various heavy machinery, including tractor-trailers and excavators.
On Dec. 23, the office auctioned off 11 seized excavators and gravel trucks, with total proceeds reaching NT$12.25 million.
Among the suspects is landowner Shih Li-chun (石麗君), who served as an aide to independent Kaohsiung City Councilor Chu Hsin-chiang (朱信強), prosecutors said.
Shih is among those now detained by the Ciaotou District Court, they said.
The scheme has seriously damaged national land conservation, agricultural production and public safety, requiring extensive cleanup costs and leaving a severe long-term impact, office Chief Prosecutor Chang Chun-hui (張春暉) said.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS