Police bust currency trafficking ring, seize NT$39.9 million
2016/04/06 22:50:42
Taipei, April 6 (CNA) Taiwanese police on Wednesday busted a ring that was engaged in trafficking cash from Taiwan to Indonesia, and confiscated about NT$39.93 million (US$1.22 million) from eight travelers who were trying take money out of the country illegally.
The police operation in New Taipei and Taoyuan extended to a search of some stores that sell Indonesian commodities and were suspected of sending currency illegally to Indonesia.
The suspected mastermind of the currency trafficking ring, an Indonesian-Taiwanese surnamed Chang, was arrested in the crackdown, said the aviation police, who took part in the operation.
The police said Chang had hired 11 "money mules," eight of whom were arrested Wednesday at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport while trying to depart the country with a total of about NT$39.93 million in cash.
According to the police, Chang was paying the money mules NT$5,000 each to carry large sums of Taiwan dollars to a third party in Hong Kong or Indonesia.
Making four or five overseas trips per week, the money mules would each carry about NT$5 million in cash, the police said.
Chang, who obtained Republic of China citizenship in 2013, has been operating a store in New Taipei that sells Indonesian goods, according to the police.
He linked up with more than 10 other stores to engage in currency trafficking, transporting cash in bulk for Indonesian workers in Taiwan who wanted to avoid paying to wire money via a registered financial institution to their families back home.
The scam also helped reduce losses resulting from currency conversion, the police said.
The suspects were interrogated and handed over to prosecutors for further investigation, the police said.
(By Chiu Chun-chin and Elaine Hou)
