Tainan police bust crime ring that operated out of fake storefronts

Taipei, Feb. 24 (CNA) Tainan police on Monday said they had recently busted a crime ring that carried out violent debt collection, fraud and recruitment activities in locations disguised as car washes and pet shops.

In a call with reporters, Lee Chung-hsien (李政憲), deputy head of the Tainan Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division, said the crime ring, led by a man surnamed Chen (陳), originally became known to police for drug dealing and fraud, as well as for holding extravagant year-end and other festival parties.

After several run-ins with law enforcement, however, the group adopted a more low-key approach, and began conducting its operations out of venues disguised as temples, car washes and pet shops, Lee said.

As the group looked to expand outside Tainan, Lee said, it became focused on recruiting juvenile delinquents and youth from broken homes to help it carry out fraud and debt collection.

After assigning a team to monitor the group, police learned of one incident in which Chen himself led several gang members armed with machetes and bats to forcibly seize one debtor, take him back to one of the gang's offices, and beat him until he signed a promissory note, Lee said.

Having collected sufficient evidence, around 60 police officers launched simultaneous raids on 13 locations tied to the group on Feb. 5, arresting Chen and 11 of the gang's members.

During the raids, police also seized 51 packs of drug-laced instant coffee, eight packets of amphetamines, two calligraphy paintings, banners containing the gang's slogans and even an operations manual for gang members, Lee said.

Following their arrests, the 12 suspects, including three minors, were turned over to Tainan prosecutors and the juvenile court system on suspicion of violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act, Lee said.