A Taiwanese fugitive who had been on the run in China for 18 years was arrested on Saturday after allegedly entering Taiwan illegally by motorboat days earlier, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Southern Branch said today.
The man, surnamed Lee (李), was apprehended in Keelung for suspected contravention of the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法).
Photo: Wang Chieh, Taipei Times
Investigators later found that Lee had fled to China 18 years ago after being involved in a firearms modification case and was subsequently listed as wanted, the CGA said in a statement.
A suspicious target was detected 5.8 nautical miles (10.74km) off the mouth of the Tsengwen River (曾文溪) in Tainan at 4:05pm on March 25, the CGA said.
A patrol team arriving at 4:35pm found an abandoned motorboat on a nearby beach.
Following a search of the area, the CGA said it deployed personnel to intercept possible illegal entrants and notified police to expand coastal patrols later that day.
The case is being investigated by the Tainan District Prosecutors' Office, with the motorboat taken as evidence, the CGA said.
Lee's previous case would be transferred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, which listed him as wanted 18 years ago, the agency said.
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