Motorcycle gang members turned over to prosecutors
Central News Agency
2014-03-25 06:21 PM
Taipei, March 25 (CNA) Three members of a motorcycle gang that tried to stir up trouble at protests against a trade-in-services pact with China have been handed over to prosecutors, the Taipei City Police Department said Tuesday.
The motorcycle gang gathered Monday evening at the intersection of Qingdao East Road and Chung Shan South Road, shouting at people and throwing flares into the crowd, the department said.
Some 64 police officers were immediately dispatched to the scene, and they arrested 16 motorcyclists, who were identified by authorities as teenagers.
Police said the teenagers arrested claimed they were taking part in the protest to seek excitement, but local media has speculated they were members of the Unionist Party, which is led by Chang An-le, former leader of the Bamboo Union gang.
One of the 16 people arrested was handed over to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for carrying two improvised bombs and a flare, and another two were turned over on suspicion of having violated the Social Order Maintenance Act, the department said.
The 13 others were released by police but could still be charged with violations of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act, according to the department.
The arrest occurred a week after a group of protesters led by students stormed into the Legislature on March 18 to protest what they saw as the lack of transparency in negotiations on the trade-in-services pact signed by Taiwan and China in June 2013.
(By Hsu Hui, Liu Chien-pang and Jeffrey Wu)
