DISASTER SIMULATION: A new patrol ship with full medical facilities was deployed to test its responses to a potential oil spill and fire on a dredging vesselStaff writer, with CNA
SOCIAL DISORDER: Forty-five major criminal figures were among 269 suspects arrested in a major joint campaign by law-enforcement agencies to deter crimeBy Chiu Chun-fu and Jason Pan / Staff reporters
CAMBODIAN OPERATIONS: Authorities said that police units in Taiwan have conducted sweeps targeting 20 criminal organizations, with 67 people detained recentlyBy Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) officials yesterday said they have arrested nine people on suspicion of human trafficking, and rescued nine Taiwanese.
The suspects are being accused of luring Taiwanese to Cambodia with lucrative job offers, before forcing them to work in their fraud operations.
The criminal ring was allegedly led by Lee Chen-hao (李振豪), who is suspected of being a boss of a Taipei chapter of the Bamboo Union triad, the officials said.
Lee and two men working for him have been placed under judicial detention pending further investigation, they said.
The CIB, with support from the National Police Agency, on Tuesday
Authorities in New Taipei City and Kaohsiung on Wednesday said they had raided illegal operations involving investment fraud, online gambling and money laundering.
Police arrested seven suspects working from a commercial building in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊), including the alleged head of an investment fraud operation surnamed Kuo (郭).
Kuo, 25, and his group allegedly created a cryptocurrency and futures investment app, which they advertised to members of the public and operated without a license, police said.
Police said they raided the building last week.
They estimated that more than 100 people using the app lost a combined NT$10 million (US$348,371).
Kuo and