TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (刑事局) announced a comprehensive government offensive against organized crime Wednesday (Aug. 20), targeting gangs that have evolved from traditional violence into sophisticated fraud, gambling, and money laundering operations. Sawyer Mars (馬士元), deputy interior minister and commander of Taiwan's cabinet Anti-Fraud Center (行政院打詐中心), spearheaded the press conference with representatives from multiple government departments. The announcement signals Taiwan's escalating battle against increasingly complex criminal enterprises.
Taiwan's government has mobilized against organized fraud by partnering with agencies like the Ministry of Finance (財政部) to deploy inspections and administrative penalties against criminal networks. The ambitious Anti-Fraud 2.0 initiative (打詐綱領2.0) seeks to forge unprecedented public-private partnerships encompassing financial institutions, virtual asset services, telecommunications companies, online advertising platforms, third-party payment services, e-commerce platforms, and online gaming operators. This comprehensive approach represents Taiwan's most extensive anti-fraud coalition to date.
Taiwan's authorities deploy coordinated team-based strategies to systematically target core criminal leaders, trace complex financial flows, and sever economic lifelines funding illegal operations. The comprehensive approach encompasses investigating professionals who collude with criminal organizations and aggressively seizing illicit funds from gang operations. Law enforcement agencies and central government departments have launched synchronized inspections and imposed administrative penalties on businesses connected to criminal networks.
Police collaborated with multiple agencies to dismantle several major fraud operations, arresting 26 individuals including prominent gang figures like Thento Union (天道盟) leader Iron Tyrant (鐵霸) and Sun Alliance (太陽聯盟) deputy leader Michael (麥可) for gambling, tax, and anti-money laundering violations. Mars emphasized that Taiwan's cabinet Anti-Fraud Command Center will harness creativity, advanced technology, and comprehensive government resources to develop innovative anti-fraud strategies while maintaining absolute zero tolerance against organized crime and fraudulent activities. ◼