Frustrated with Land Rezoning, 70-Year-Old Indicted for Serial Arson at Taipei MRT
A 70-year-old man, dissatisfied with a long-standing land rezoning dispute in Taichung, was indicted for attempted arson after setting fires at two Taipei MRT stations to draw public attention.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 7, 2026 at 11:04
- 🔍 Collected: April 7, 2026 at 12:00 (56 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 20:25 (272h 25m after Collected)
According to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office indictment, the man surnamed Tseng is the head of the Taichung Shengang Dafudi self-organized rezoning self-help association and has been dealing with the land rezoning dispute for 14 years. Tseng believed there were major controversies regarding the rezoning in that area, but after seeking judicial relief and petitioning various local and central agencies multiple times to no avail, he committed the crimes to attract social attention and vent his personal emotions.
Prosecutors stated that at around 11:46 a.m. on February 8, inside the accessible male restroom at Exit 2 on the 1st basement floor of the Taipei MRT Daan Park Station, Tseng piled prepared straw, fruit styrofoam nets pre-soaked in gasoline, and plastic bags on the floor as kindling, poured gasoline, ignited it, and left. This caused the floor, walls, and door frame inside the restroom to be burned and blackened, and also smoked the partition walls, toilet paper dispensers, and emergency bells.
Prosecutors pointed out that at around 1:59 p.m. the same day, inside a sitting toilet stall in the male restroom at Exit 2 on the 1st basement floor of the Taipei MRT Shandao Temple Station, Tseng started a fire using the same method and left. This caused the ceiling to be blackened by smoke, the ceiling vents to deform from heat, the front of the toilet to be burned and cracked, the floor and walls to be blackened, and the toilet paper dispenser to be damaged by fire.
Prosecutors believe Tseng's arson endangered the lives, bodies, and property of people passing through or active in the MRT stations, causing a hazard to the public. Fortunately, station personnel promptly discovered and extinguished the fires, preventing them from spreading to the main building structures of the stations, leaving the arson as an attempt.
After committing the crimes, Tseng was arrested on the afternoon of the same day by the Zhongzheng First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department and transferred to the prosecutors office. After questioning, prosecutors believed Tseng was highly suspected of the crime of arson, and due to the risk of him destroying evidence, fleeing, or committing the crime repeatedly, successfully petitioned the Taipei District Court for his detention.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation today and indicted Tseng for intimidation endangering safety and attempted arson. The currently detained Tseng is expected to be transferred to the Taipei District Court later.
Prosecutors stated that at around 11:46 a.m. on February 8, inside the accessible male restroom at Exit 2 on the 1st basement floor of the Taipei MRT Daan Park Station, Tseng piled prepared straw, fruit styrofoam nets pre-soaked in gasoline, and plastic bags on the floor as kindling, poured gasoline, ignited it, and left. This caused the floor, walls, and door frame inside the restroom to be burned and blackened, and also smoked the partition walls, toilet paper dispensers, and emergency bells.
Prosecutors pointed out that at around 1:59 p.m. the same day, inside a sitting toilet stall in the male restroom at Exit 2 on the 1st basement floor of the Taipei MRT Shandao Temple Station, Tseng started a fire using the same method and left. This caused the ceiling to be blackened by smoke, the ceiling vents to deform from heat, the front of the toilet to be burned and cracked, the floor and walls to be blackened, and the toilet paper dispenser to be damaged by fire.
Prosecutors believe Tseng's arson endangered the lives, bodies, and property of people passing through or active in the MRT stations, causing a hazard to the public. Fortunately, station personnel promptly discovered and extinguished the fires, preventing them from spreading to the main building structures of the stations, leaving the arson as an attempt.
After committing the crimes, Tseng was arrested on the afternoon of the same day by the Zhongzheng First Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department and transferred to the prosecutors office. After questioning, prosecutors believed Tseng was highly suspected of the crime of arson, and due to the risk of him destroying evidence, fleeing, or committing the crime repeatedly, successfully petitioned the Taipei District Court for his detention.
The Taipei District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation today and indicted Tseng for intimidation endangering safety and attempted arson. The currently detained Tseng is expected to be transferred to the Taipei District Court later.