Changhua: Police on Thursday announced the arrest of 11 suspects linked to a fraud ring, following the discovery of illicit cash in a train station bathroom in Changhua County. The arrests were made after investigators established the bathroom as a meeting point for the illegal exchange of cash.
According to Focus Taiwan, the investigation began in May when a Taiwan Railway passenger found a bag containing NT$1 million (US$32,347) in a men’s bathroom stall at Yuanlin Station in Changhua. The passenger reported the find to station workers, who then informed the Railway Police’s Taichung Precinct, as detailed in a press release from the bureau.
Soon after, a man arrived at the station claiming ownership of the bag. His nervous behavior prompted Railway Police officers to question him, at which point he failed to provide a legitimate explanation for the source of the money. Officers determined that the cash was obtained through fraudulent means, leading to the man’s arrest and the launch of a broader investigation.
Police reviewed surveillance footage and discovered that the man had previously met with a fraud victim near the station. The fraud ring had been targeting victims through the messaging app Line, posing as an investment company promising to invest their money in stocks. Victims were instructed to meet representatives in person to hand over their investment funds.
The video footage further revealed that after collecting the cash from a victim, the man placed the bag in the bathroom for another ring member to retrieve. This accomplice was also subsequently arrested. The investigation identified the group’s leader as a 40-year-old man surnamed Chang, operating primarily in Taichung and Changhua.
Police intercepted Chang at Taoyuan International Airport in September as he attempted to flee the country. They seized his computer and additional cash as evidence, capturing several other members of the organization in the process. Initial estimates suggest that the suspects defrauded victims of over NT$10 million.
The 11 individuals were handed over to the Changhua District Prosecutors Office with charges of fraud, as confirmed by the bureau.