Police raid pigeon gambling racing club in south Taiwan

南台灣警方突襲賽鴿賭博集團

25 suspects arrested, 734 racing pigeons seized from Tainan racing ring


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan City prosecutors announced on Tuesday (June 27) that they had raided an illegal pigeon racing gambling ring earlier in the month.

A pigeon racing club is suspected of holding three seasons of races over the course of a year, during which gamblers wagered over NT$100 million (NT$3.2 million), reported CNA. According to the Tainan City Police Department's Criminal Investigation Corps, 25 suspects have been arrested in connection with the gambling ring and over 700 pigeons have been seized.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Criminal Investigation Corps said the Tainan City District Prosecutor's Office had found that many pigeon racing associations in the city were engaged in underground illicit activities. In addition to illegal gambling tied to pigeon racing, authorities also suspect that organizers were releasing the birds at sea, with only a few reaching their destination, and were also engaged in other illegal activities, such as ransoming the birds, extortion, and fraud.

After a special investigation team formed by prosecutors conducted a long-term investigation, a pigeon racing association in Tainan City's Madou District was found to have no legitimate business license and was unregistered. Since the beginning of last year, the club has held three seasons of races at sea, in the spring, summer, and winter.

There were five rounds of training each season, two qualifying rounds, and five main rounds of competitions. Investigators estimate that the ring generated over NT$100 million in gambling profits.

This year, 1,108 pigeons entered the spring race, but only 43 completed the entire circuit, meaning that only 3.88% reached the finish.

Police said that the task force raided the pigeon racing club on June 16 and arrested the prime suspect, a 63-year-old man surnamed Chuang (莊), along with five other staff members of the club. A total of 734 pigeons were seized at the scene, as well as host computers, more than NT$140,000 in cash, and other evidence from this year's summer race.

Officers then summoned the owners of two pigeon shops that sold leg bands for racing pigeons and questioned 17 people suspected of gambling on the races. Police emphasized that the Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) clearly prohibits the use of animals for competitive behavior or the purpose of gambling.