The US Department of Justice earlier this month sent Taiwan US$7 million derived from seized criminal proceeds, the first time such a transaction between the two nations has occurred, the Ministry of Justice said yesterday.
The Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs issued a statement explaining the unprecedented sharing of forfeited assets between the US and Taiwan.
Taiwan in 2022 for the first time sent assets confiscated in drug trafficking and money laundering cases worth US$16 million to judicial authorities in the US in line with bilateral agreements, the statement said.
Photo: Wu Cheng-feng, Taipei Times
After deducting costs, the US Department of Justice divided the remaining value on a 50-50 basis, sending Taiwan half the value of the seized assets and retaining the other half, it said.
The sharing of the value of the confiscated assets involved negotiations between multiple agencies in the US and Taiwan, including the US Department of State, the US Department of Justice, the US Department of the Treasury and the US Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office.
“This case is nothing less than outstanding evidence of the firm commitment of Taiwan and the United States to bilateral criminal-judicial mutual assistance,” the justice ministry said. “It also concretely demonstrates Taiwan’s determination and strength in combating cross-border money laundering crimes and shows that Taiwan actively provides substantial assistance to the international community.”
The ministry also said that the US thanked Taiwan for “providing assistance” in the international cases.
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