Security at the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) System is to be on high alert today after the Ministry of Transportation and Communications reported that it had received a message from an individual who threatened to carry out massacres at several MRT stations.
Department of Railways and Highways Deputy Director-General Wang Mu-han (王穆衡) said that the ministry had turned the information over to Taipei’s Department of Rapid Transit System and the police earlier this week, based on the standard procedures established after a stabbing spree at the Jiangzicui MRT Station last year.
The threat also came at a sensitive time, as the nation is scheduled to celebrate the National Day of the Republic of China (ROC) today.
Photo: Chen En-hui, Taipei Times
Taipei City Police Departments Rapid Transit Division officials said a person, surnamed Wang (王), had left a message at the mailbox of Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Jian-yu (陳建宇) on Friday last week threatening to carry guns and knives to kill people at Jiangzicui (江子翠), Zhongshan (中山), Dongmen (東門), Taipei City Hall (市政府) and eight other MRT stations.
The division’s criminal team leader Yuan Yun-cheng (袁雲澂) said that the team is investigating the case and has found the person might have sent the message from overseas. He said that the team needs to ascertain if the message was delivered via a third party.
The division said that it will increase patrols inside the MRT stations mentioned in the message.
It said it would arrange personnel to patrol the Jiangzicui, Zhongshan and Zhongxiao Fuxing stations between 1pm and 5pm and between 9pm to 1am daily. The patrol time for Ximen (西門), Dongmen and Taipei City Hall stations is from 4pm to 12pm daily.
However, police said they would patrol these stations hourly during the service time of the Taipei MRT System today, which lasts from 6am to 1am.
Apart from the police who are scheduled to be on duty today, the division said that each subdivision has additional personnel on standby to ensure that it has enough manpower to quickly react to an emergency situation.
All Taipei City Police Department branches, as well as those in New Taipei City, would also be assisting the division in patrolling the MRT stations, it added.
In addition, the division would arrange emergency response teams to be stationed at the Taipei Arena, NTU Hospital, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and Taipei Main stations to maintain order for the National Day assembly and evening banquet.
Aside from batons and handcuffs, the police would wear bulletproof vests and carry metal detectors to search people suspected of carrying illegal items, the division said.
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