Fraud Ring 'Double-Cross' Leads to Torture; Ringleaders Sentenced to 36.5 Years

Central News Agency, Wu Zhehao, Changhua, 27th. Lu Jinlin and Zhang Jiayou, along with five others, recruited money mules for a fraud ring. Suspecting a 'double-cross' when attempting to retrieve stolen funds, they abducted and tortured five victims, using stun guns and other tools, and demanded a ransom of NT$1 million from their families. The Changhua District Court sentenced Lu to 36 years and 6 months in prison today. In addition to Lu, Zhang Jiayou was sentenced to 34 years and 6 months, with other defendants receiving sentences ranging from 28 years to 1 year and 8 months. According to the court, Lu, a former leader of a Bamboo Union faction, and his accomplices abducted the victims from Tainan to a factory in Changhua in December 2024, where they were handcuffed and beaten. They also abducted a recruiter from Taitung, using dumbbells and iron bars to force a confession. The perpetrators also forced victims to film sexual acts to blackmail their families. The judge ruled that the defendants' testimonies were evasive and the crimes were extremely severe. The case remains subject to appeal.