Taiwan fishing boat captain and retired cop both detained for alleged human smuggling

台灣漁船船長和退休警察因涉嫌走私被拘留

Authorities also found a total of 80 boxes of protected fish fins hidden in boat


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese fishing boat captain and a retired police officer were detained on Saturday (Nov. 12) for allegedly colluding to smuggle four wanted Taiwanese people as well as banned fish products.

The Penghu District Prosecutors Office said in a release that the office and the Coast Guard Administration’s investigation branch had recently launched an investigation into a suspected human smuggling case, CNA reported.

They found that the “Lung Hsiang Man No. 16” fishing boat’s (龍祥滿16號) captain, surnamed Li (李), and a retired criminal police officer, surnamed Wang (王), colluded to attempt to smuggle four Taiwanese people wanted for fraud and other crimes to China for a price of NT$150,000 (US$4,800) per person.

In addition, the authorities also found a total of 80 boxes of the fins of protected fish, which were estimated to weigh about 2,000 kilograms, hidden in the boat. The banned products were to be picked up by a fishing boat from China.

Li and Wang were questioned by the prosecutors’ office, and the Penghu District Court later approved an application to detain them for their suspected violation of the Immigration Act and the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area.