A nationwide crackdown on gangs was launched on Tuesday morning and 931 alleged gangsters had been arrested by yesterday morning, the National Police Agency (NPA) said yesterday.
Twenty-two gang bosses, 201 gang members and 708 other gangsters were arrested in the crackdown, the agency said in a statement.
The crackdown came on the eve of the funeral for Bamboo Union gang leader Chen Chi-li (陳啟禮) today. Chen died of pancreatic cancer in Hong Kong on Oct. 4.
The police agency said the Bamboo Union was the main target of the crackdown, and six leaders of the gang's branches had been apprehended.
Alleged branch leader Chang Wei-an (張維安) and eight of his alleged gang members were arrested yesterday for selling drugs in Ilan County.
Chang had been chosen to be one of the 10 Bamboo Union pallbearers for today's funeral, which police said was an indication of his status in the gang.
Police said Chang and his gang members were dressed all in black when they were arrested. The suspects reportedly said they were preparing to wear the clothes to the funeral.
Alleged branch leader Chao Fang-mo (趙芳模) was arrested with 26 of his alleged gang members on Tuesday.
Police said Chao had become branch leader three months ago and had recruited a number of new members.
Police said members of the Heavenly Way Gang (天道盟) had also been targeted in the crackdown, and several of its leaders had been apprehended.
Police said the gangsters would be charged with violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪條例).
The NPA said hundreds of police officers would be stationed at the funeral hall to monitor Chen Chi-li's funeral. It said it wanted to ensure that gang members did not use the funeral to promote gang activity or recruit new members.
Taiwan yesterday condemned the recent increase in Chinese coast guard-escorted fishing vessels operating illegally in waters around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. Unusually large groupings of Chinese fishing vessels began to appear around the islands on Feb. 15, when at least six motherships and 29 smaller boats were sighted, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said in a news release. While CGA vessels were dispatched to expel the Chinese boats, Chinese coast guard ships trespassed into Taiwan’s restricted waters and unsuccessfully attempted to interfere, the CGA said. Due to the provocation, the CGA initiated an operation to increase
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The Chinese military has boosted its capability to fight at a high tempo using the element of surprise and new technology, the Ministry of National Defense said in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) published on Monday last week. The ministry highlighted Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) developments showing significant changes in Beijing’s strategy for war on Taiwan. The PLA has made significant headway in building capabilities for all-weather, multi-domain intelligence, surveillance, operational control and a joint air-sea blockade against Taiwan’s lines of communication, it said. The PLA has also improved its capabilities in direct amphibious assault operations aimed at seizing strategically important beaches,
‘MALIGN PURPOSE’: Governments around the world conduct espionage operations, but China’s is different, as its ultimate goal is annexation, a think tank head said Taiwan is facing a growing existential threat from its own people spying for China, experts said, as the government seeks to toughen measures to stop Beijing’s infiltration efforts and deter Taiwanese turncoats. While Beijing and Taipei have been spying on each other for years, experts said that espionage posed a bigger threat to Taiwan due to the risk of a Chinese attack. Taiwan’s intelligence agency said China used “diverse channels and tactics” to infiltrate the nation’s military, government agencies and pro-China organizations. The main targets were retired and active members of the military, persuaded by money, blackmail or pro-China ideology to steal
RSS