3 Malaysian nationals arrested in Kaohsiung as alleged money mules

Kaohsiung, Aug. 9 (CNA) Three Malaysian nationals and one individual from Hong Kong were recently arrested in Kaohsiung after allegedly entering Taiwan as tourists to work as money mules for scam gangs, the Kaohsiung City Police Department's Zuoying Precinct said Sunday.

The precinct said there has recently been an uptick in scam operations recruiting foreign nationals to come to Taiwan and work as money mules.

In late June, police caught a 45-year-old Hong Kong man allegedly withdrawing illicit proceeds from a fraud scheme using a bank ATM and seized NT$230,000 (US$7,132) in cash, one bank card and one mobile phone, according to the precinct.

They subsequently caught two more suspects in July at locations including post office ATMs. Both suspects were Malaysian nationals, aged 18 and 39, respectively, police said.

Furthermore, police identified another Malaysian national, aged 26, as a suspect in a fraud case in mid-July. They later arrested the man at Kaohsiung International Airport with the assistance of the National Immigration Agency and the Aviation Police Bureau.

A total of NT$2,800 and two cellphones in the 26-year-old's belongings were entered into evidence, the police added.

The Taiwan Ciaotou District Court ruled that all four suspects be detained for further investigation.

According to the Zuoying Precinct, police found that fraud rings have recently been recruiting foreign nationals to enter Taiwan as short-term tourists and work as money mules.

Such visitors typically leave the country after staying for about a week, during which time they complete their withdrawal assignments, the precinct said, noting that the short stays are apparently designed to create gaps in the investigation process and evade detection.

Police pledged to step up patrols in areas where cash withdrawals are frequently made and improve enforcement efforts through intelligence sharing and interagency cooperation.

They also advised people working as drivers or in industries such as hospitality and finance to be extra vigilant, especially when foreign nationals withdraw cash from ATMs multiple times within a short period.