Coast Guard evaluates new tech after convicted tycoon's yacht escape

Taipei, Sept. 24 (CNA) The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) is evaluating using new technology to strengthen monitoring of people at high risk of fleeing Taiwan by sea.

Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲), head of the Ocean Affairs Council, which oversees the CGA, unveiled the plan after a funeral business tycoon jumped bail of NT$517 million (US$16.14 million) and was smuggled out of Taiwan aboard a yacht.

A Control Yuan investigation found that even though CGA personnel boarded the yacht carrying Chu Guo-rong (朱國榮), president of Global Funeral Service Corp. Ltd., and searched the vessel for 27 minutes, they still failed to conduct a thorough inspection, leading to Chu's escape in September 2023.

As such, the ombudsman institution decided to propose corrective measures against the CGA, according to the investigation report.

Commenting on the matter, Kuan told the media before attending a legislative session Tuesday that she was sorry to disappoint the public for the CGA's failure to prevent Chu, whose current whereabouts remains unknown, from fleeing.

She added that the authorities would conduct a review of the case.

The review will focus on tracking individuals who are at high risk of fleeing the country instead of conducting comprehensive and high-intensity security inspections, Kuan said.

Therefore, she visited the Judicial Yuan and attended government interagency meetings to discuss matters related to enhancing information sharing between police, prosecutors and courts by building an electronic interface, according to Kuan.

Kuan said that the last time Chu reported to a police station was about four hours in advance of the scheduled time and if there were an electronic interface and immediate notification system, an anti-escape alert would have been activated.

Under his bail arrangement, while waiting for the hearing of his appeal, Chu was required to report to the Sanzhangli Police Station in Taipei's Xinyi District in person every day before 7 p.m.

But he was listed as a wanted fugitive on Sept. 28, 2023, after failing to report to the station for several days in a row.

He never showed up after his last visit to the police station on Sept. 7, 2023, which led the Supreme Court to issue a warrant for his arrest and cancel his NT$517 million bail bond.

According to Kuan, among the 262 fugitive suspects and convicts nationwide, 227 are wanted for involvement in economic crimes.

Kuan said that the number of people prohibited from leaving Taiwan reached 5,299 and security checks on these people will be intensified.