Actor Darren Wang freed on bail in military service evasion case

Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was taken into custody for questioning on suspicion of evading compulsory military service and document forgery Tuesday and was released on NT$150,000 (US$4,583) bail later that day, prosecutors said.

Wang was among 12 individuals brought in for questioning in connection with an illegal ring suspected of helping people evade military service, according to New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office.

Police in New Taipei arrested the ring leader, a man surnamed Chen (陳), last month for suspected violation of the military service system.

The group members allegedly told men conscripted for compulsory military service that they could help them evade military service in exchange for NT$100,000-NT$1 million.

On Tuesday, prosecutors directed police to carry out searches in 14 locations in Taipei and central Taiwan, with 12 suspects arrested: three "brokers" and nine conscripts (including Wang).

It was reported that Wang allegedly paid around NT$1 million to the group in an attempt to avoid military service by claiming a medical illness.

According to Taipei City Government Department of Compulsory Military Service, Wang has reached the maximum age for deferment of draft, 33, and no longer qualifies for deferment as a student. The Ministry of the Interior has scheduled his entry into the camp for March 13 and if he fails to report on time for no reason, he will be dealt with in accordance with the law, it added.

Also Tuesday, MOI said that after an investigation, it found abnormalities in the conscription physical examination reports of some prospective conscripts, such as claiming a disease with no relevant medical history.

A total of 80 individuals are suspected of evading military service from 2020-2024 by using similar methods and the suspects have been handed over to prosecutors for further investigation.

The 80 individuals do not include Wang, the ministry added.

The ministry said that according to the Punishment Act for Violation to Military Service System, males of conscription age (19 years old ) who try to avoid being recruited by inflicting physical injury, using other methods to change their physical condition, or other illegal means stipulated in the law, and those who use illegal methods in an attempt to obstruct military service can be sentenced to no more than five years in prison.