The third phase of an ongoing operation to crack down on people-smuggling caught 68 illegal Chinese immigrants and 15 Taiwanese citizens, an Executive Yuan task force reported yesterday.
The latest operation began at 10pm on Saturday and was conducted by a joint force initiated by the Executive Yuan to hunt down people smugglers and manned by agents from the Coast Guard Administration and the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
Since the operation began on Nov. 1 last year, 873 illegal Chinese and 236 Taiwanese had been taken into custody, said a spokesman for the task force.
The spokesman said that in accordance with Article 79 of the Statute Governing Relations Between People from the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (兩岸人民關係條例) passed by the Legislative Yuan last year, people caught running cross-strait human trafficking operations face jail terms of up to five years and fines of up to NT$10 million if convicted.
Owners of boats used for human trafficking could have their shipping rights suspended, licenses revoked or their vessels confiscated, the spokesman said.
Executive Yuan task force officials urged the public to help law-enforcement authorities thwart cross-strait human trafficking by calling police at 110 or by calling the Coast Guard Administration at 118 if they see any suspicious individuals or activities.
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass