 Nine people were detained incommunicado after prosecutors and investigators uncovered an alleged NT$5.4 billion (US$171.12 million) money laundering operation tied to illegal online gambling.
The Investigation Bureau’s Central Mobile Workstation said 27 people were brought in and 23 locations were searched in February and April after investigators traced funds moving through shell companies and payment accounts. The main suspect, a man surnamed Chen (陳), allegedly led a group identified only as “Fu0chang.” Investigators said the group recruited figurehead company owners and used the firms to obtain virtual accounts and payment codes from third-party payment providers. Those services were then linked to online gambling platforms, where gamblers’ deposits would appear as purchases of digital points from services including GASH and MyCard, according to the report. After the money entered the shell company accounts, couriers allegedly withdrew it in cash and passed it to a “money house.” Investigators said the group later returned the cash to bank accounts under cover stories such as buying aged liquor. Staff at the money house allegedly worked around the clock using online banking to divide and send the funds to designated accounts. Reporters reported that authorities confiscated about NT$21.38 million in account funds, more than NT$970,000 in cash, and 2,184 Tether tokens. Additional evidence, such as bank cards and electronic equipment, was also seized. Prosecutors said the suspects were likely to have violated organized crime, money laundering, and gambling laws. Beyond the nine suspects held in detention, the remaining individuals were released on bail ranging from NT$40,000 to NT$200,000.  Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that Taiwan’s monthly minimum wage will rise above NT$30,000 (US$951) next year.
Speaking at the labor ministry’s National Model Worker Award ceremony, Cho said the government has raised the minimum wage for 10 straight years. Taiwan’s monthly minimum wage is currently NT$29,500 (US$935), while the hourly minimum wage is NT$196. Cho said the planned increase would be large enough that the labor minister would not face pressure over the issue. He said Taiwan’s economy grew 8.68% last year and that workers helped create that growth. Cho said the government would continue improving labor rights and this would include promoting daily parental leave, which would allow parents to take time off in one-day units. He said the policy would help fathers spend more time with their children and support gender equality at work. Cho added the government wants to improve policies for migrant workers. Employers who raise wages for Taiwanese workers may be allowed to hire more migrant workers, while skilled foreign workers may receive clearer paths to stay in Taiwan.  Taiwan Walk for Wildlife said dealing with stray dogs costs NT$3.64 billion (US$115.6 million) annually and called on the Animal Welfare Department to improve management.
At a press conference, Taiwan Walk for Wildlife Chair Li Tsung-chen (李宗宸) said the department’s focus is on capturing stray dogs, neutering them, and implanting microchips before returning them to the wild. Some stray dogs are sent to shelters for adoption. However, Li said these measures have not eased Taiwan’s stray dog issue. He said that stray dogs have caused traffic accidents that killed 42 people and injured 14,000 over the past five years. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Taiwan had 141,500 stray dogs in 2024, down 11.34% from the 2022 survey. The ministry said responsible pet ownership remains key to controlling the stray dog population. The group, together with other animal welfare associations, also called on the Legislative Yuan to freeze the stray dog management budget until the department submits an improvement plan. Taiwan Walk for Wildlife said the ministry should set up a platform to give the public access to data on agricultural losses and traffic accidents caused by stray dogs. It added the ministry should clearly regulate the feeding of stray dogs. The group added that Taiwan records at least 550 cases each year of stray dogs entering livestock farms, resulting in livestock deaths and more than NT$30 million in property losses. The WildOne Wildlife Conservation Association urged the department to prevent stray dogs from attacking wildlife. The group said dog attacks are a leading cause of injury to Taiwan pangolins, despite Taiwan’s global leadership in pangolin care and conservation efforts. The Reptile Conservation Association of Taiwan estimated the country has more than 140,000 stray dogs. It calculated that it could take up to 11 years to halve the stray dog population.  Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) announced that the Philippine government has approved the resumption of Taiwanese pork imports.
Cho said Taiwan had received an official notification confirming that exports of live pigs, porcine semen, frozen pork, offal, and pork skin would resume May 14. Taiwan reported its first case of African swine fever (ASF) in October and immediately took action to contain and eliminate it. After being notified of the outbreak in November, the Philippines conducted a risk assessment and officially announced the suspension of imports of live pigs and pork products from Taiwan on Dec. 8. In February, Taiwan submitted an application to be reinstated as an ASF-free country. The World Organisation for Animal Health recognized Taiwan’s ASF-free status on April 6, making it the only country in Asia to be free of all three major swine diseases: foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever, and ASF. Cho said in a Facebook post that the government will continue working with the pork industry to ensure Taiwanese pork can be sold globally. Singapore has already resumed imports of Taiwanese pork, and efforts are ongoing to reopen the Japanese market, according to Cho.  A 19-year-old Taiwanese tourist was detained at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after attempting to smuggle 30 Indian star tortoises onto a flight to Taipei, according to reporters and other media reports.
Thai authorities said the woman concealed the tortoises on her body to avoid detection. Komkrit Pinsai, head of the airport’s wildlife checkpoint, said the traveler was stopped at 5:25 a.m. when attempting to fly to Taipei on VietJet Air after staff noticed suspicious behavior. Pinsai said a search in the departure terminal’s security zone found the tortoises were taped to restrict movement. They were placed in cloth bags and strapped to her torso. One of the 30 tortoises was dead. The Indian star tortoise has been categorized as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2016. Its wild population is estimated at more than 10,000 but is in decline. The species is highly valued on the black market and is often bred in multiple countries for the pet trade. It is prohibited from illegal trade and importation in Taiwan.  Student organizations want the abolition of university dormitory curfews and have drawn support from lawmakers across party lines.
Three student organizations and two legislators held a press event Wednesday at the legislature calling for an end to the curfews. National Students’ Union of Taiwan Chair Chen Yu-jen (陳昱仁) said that a review of dormitory policies at higher education institutions found that many still enforce such restrictions. Curfews typically require students to return by a set time through roll calls, locked doors, or entry-only access after certain hours. Late returns may result in penalties such as parent notification, demerits, or eviction from dorms. Chen said the policy disadvantages students, as rushing to meet curfews can increase safety risks, especially for those working part-time off campus. He added that for adult university students, curfews are akin to confinement. Student Rights Committee Chair Huang Lang-teng (黃莨騰) noted that 69 higher education institutions in Taiwan maintain curfews, including 67.4% of private colleges and 14.9% of public ones. DPP Legislator Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) said she promoted a “New Dormitory Movement” in 2018 that secured funding to improve facilities nationwide. She added that universities still have room to modernize their management approach. She said dormitory safety should rely on access control systems, adequate lighting, and effective reporting mechanisms rather than restricting freedom of movement. With the legal age of adulthood lowered to 18 under the Civil Code, she said universities should trust students and respect their autonomy. KMT Legislator Ko Ju-chun (葛如鈞) said prohibition does not equal safety, calling curfews outdated and not necessarily effective. He said paternalistic management was unnecessary in an era of technological advancement.  Members of a Taiwanese tour group involved in a bus accident in China’s Gansu Province, which left one person dead and 12 injured, returned to Taiwan.
The group arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where injured travelers received assistance, including transport by electric vehicle through the terminal. One member of the group carried the ashes of a deceased family member. The airport dispatched electric carts to assist family members from the boarding gate to an African swine fever screening station. Staff from multiple agencies then accompanied them through customs before they departed from the airport. The Mainland Affairs Council issued a statement a day earlier addressing the incident. It reiterated the government’s ban on group travel to China, a policy in place since 2020. Despite the ban, group travelers continue to visit China through modified itineraries, raising concerns about reduced protections for Taiwanese tourists. It said that in the event of accidents or natural disasters, agencies can provide necessary assistance through existing cross-strait coordination mechanisms. Regarding the Gansu accident, the Mainland Affairs Council said the Straits Exchange Foundation, the Tourism Administration, and travel industry representatives assisted the victims and their families. This included managing the group’s return itinerary and handling the remains of the deceased. It said the group had purchased travel liability insurance, including coverage for accidental death and injury, and assigned a tour leader to accompany them despite being organized by relatives and friends rather than a travel agency. Mainland Affairs Council said travelers’ rights or protections were not compromised by the government's ban on such travel, per the press release. On the broader issue of lifting the group tour ban, it reiterated that Taiwan maintains an “orange” travel alert for China and will not lift restrictions until the safety and personal freedom of Taiwanese can be ensured. It cited China’s recent revisions to national security regulations and measures targeting so-called separatists, along with encouragement of public reporting, as factors increasing risks for Taiwanese in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. From Jan. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026, authorities recorded 330 cases of Taiwanese reported missing, detained, or suspected of having their personal freedoms restricted in China. Given these risks, the government urged citizens to carefully consider travel plans and avoid unnecessary trips to China. There are emergency assistance mechanisms for tourists in China. This includes a 24-hour hotline operated by the Straits Exchange Foundation to support Taiwanese abroad.  Malaysian police uncovered at least 10 cases of drug mules traveling to Taiwan from January 2025 to March 2026.
Singapore recorded the highest number of arrests involving drug mules from Malaysia with 13, followed by Indonesia with 12 and Taiwan with 10, Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department Director Hussein Omar Khan told reporters. The schemes involved 17 countries, most of them in East Asia but also in the Middle East and Europe. Malaysia reported 191 nationals arrested overseas for allegedly working as drug mules since 2023, including 77 over the past two years. Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice said 192 Malaysians had been detained for fraud and 118 for drug offenses over the past decade. Several cases involving Malaysian drug mules were uncovered through cooperation with Malaysia, according to the Criminal Investigation Bureau. In a recent case, a woman brought in 4 kilograms of heroin hidden inside biscuit tins. Acting on information from their colleagues in Malaysia, police in Taipei arrested her, another suspect, and the person who took delivery of the drugs. Khan said criminal groups used offers of free travel and high-paying overseas jobs to recruit drug mules from vulnerable populations. They advertised the misleading offers on social media and communication apps targeting students, jobseekers, and people with unstable incomes, he said.  All stations on the high-speed rail line will be fitted with platform screen doors by early 2028.
A ceremony launching the traveler safety project took place at Hsinchu Station on Tuesday. Hsinchu and Banqiao will be the first stations to introduce the doors, with work scheduled to be completed in the final quarter of the year. Taichung, Taoyuan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan stations will have platform doors added during 2027. Work at the stations at both ends of the line, Nangang and Zuoying, will finish in the first quarter of 2028, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation said. The project cost NT$2.05 billion (US$65 million) and was awarded to the Panasonic Group. Tests started last year, and after improvements, the project launched Tuesday. The transparent doors will be 120 cm high and can withstand strong winds during typhoons as well as the air pressure generated by trains passing at high speeds. The door design accounts for differences between the current 700T trains and the new N700ST trains scheduled to start operating in August 2027. Taiwan ordered 12 train sets from Japan’s Hitachi Toshiba Supreme Consortium, with delivery expected to be completed by the end of 2028.  New Taipei's youth department Commissioner Marcia Qiu (邱兆梅) said that the city has no plans to subsidize youth subscriptions for artificial intelligence tools.
Reporters reported that Councilor Chen Wei-jie (陳偉杰) urged the city government to follow Hsinchu’s example by offering subsidies for AI tool subscriptions. He said financial support would help young people access essential digital tools and reduce barriers in the growing AI economy. Chen said training programs alone are not enough, as young people also need access to paid tools to apply their skills in real-world situations. He added that combining education with financial support would better support youth entrepreneurship and digital development. In response, Qiu said the city has no plan to introduce such subsidies at this stage. She said the department instead prioritizes free online courses and certification subsidies to reach more young people. Qiu said many AI tools used in training are available for free, though they may have usage limits. She said these tools are generally sufficient for tasks such as document writing, content creation, and basic workplace needs. She said subsidies could strain the city’s budget while benefiting only a limited number of users. She added the department will conduct a feasibility assessment within one month to evaluate the policy. Reporters reported that under Hsinchu’s subsidy program, young people can receive up to NT$3,000 (US$94) per year, while low-income participants may receive up to NT$6,000. The program supports subscriptions for AI tools used for video production, content creation, and other digital applications. Chen said New Taipei should learn from other cities and develop a more comprehensive support system. He warned that without financial assistance, some young people may fall behind in the shift to AI-driven industries. |