Yunlin Prosecutors Indict 5 for Money Laundering Using High-Speed Rail Refund Mechanism, Recommend Severe Sentencing
Yunlin District Prosecutors Office has indicted five individuals, including a Mr. Lin and Mr. Lai, for using Taiwan High-Speed Rail's ticket refund system to launder approximately NT$260,000 obtained through fraud. The group tricked victims into buying high-speed rail tickets using 'Taiwan PAY', then refunded them at various stations to obscure the money's origin, a new method that increased investigative difficulty.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 11:46
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 12:01 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 14:55 (2h 53m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Cai Zhiming, Yunlin, 24th) The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office recently received notification from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation about abnormal refund situations. Following investigation, it was discovered that a fraud group consisting of five individuals, including a Mr. Lin and Mr. Lai, used the high-speed rail refund mechanism to launder money, concealing and hiding the source of criminal proceeds. The case has been concluded, and the individuals have been indicted according to law, with a recommendation for severe sentencing.
The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office today issued a press release stating that after receiving the report from the High Speed Rail Corporation, prosecutors directed a special task force composed of the Sixth Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency, Ministry of the Interior, and the Yuanlin Branch of the Changhua County Police Bureau to conduct an in-depth investigation. By reviewing High Speed Rail PNR ticketing system data and cross-referencing it with Taishin Bank's financial flow analysis, the overall crime network was successfully reconstructed.
The prosecutors stated that the fraud group, consisting of five individuals including Mr. Lin and Mr. Lai, began on June 21, 114 (Republic of China calendar), disseminating messages such as prize notifications, online shopping real-name authentication, and RMB exchange through social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook). This lured eight victims, including a Mr. Liu, into error, instructing them to make payments using "Taiwan PAY."
The prosecutors pointed out that the funds paid by the victims were converted into bookings for long-distance business class high-speed rail tickets. Subsequently, members of the fraud group went to high-speed rail stations in Yunlin, Miaoli, Banqiao, Taoyuan, and Taichung, among other places, to process ticket refunds over the counter to obtain cash, totaling NT$260,000. By dispersing the transactions across multiple locations, they attempted to create breaks in the financial flow, aiming to conceal and hide the source of criminal proceeds.
The prosecutors stated that during the investigation, it was discovered that the group had considered using "purchasing airline tickets and then refunding them" as a money laundering method in the early stages of their crime. However, considering the fewer airport locations and strict security checks and identity verification, frequent ticket refunds would easily be detected by border management agencies. Therefore, they switched to high-speed rail stations, which have dense locations and large passenger flows, as their money laundering sites.
The prosecutors emphasized that this money laundering model, which combines a transportation system with payment tools, is novel in its approach. Furthermore, operating across different counties and cities significantly increased the difficulty for prosecutors and police to trace. The five defendants in this case, including the suspect Mr. Lin, are suspected of violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Criminal Code's joint fraud and acquisition of property offense, and the Money Laundering Control Act.
The prosecutors said that considering the defendants are young and capable of earning a living, yet chose not to follow the right path and collaboratively engaged in fraud and money laundering activities, fostering the spread of fraud crimes and severely undermining social trust and financial transaction order, they have requested the court to impose severe sentences for each of their offenses, suggesting imprisonment for more than 2 years as a deterrent.
(Central News Agency reporter Cai Zhiming, Yunlin, 24th) The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office recently received notification from Taiwan High Speed Rail Corporation about abnormal refund situations. Following investigation, it was discovered that a fraud group consisting of five individuals, including a Mr. Lin and Mr. Lai, used the high-speed rail refund mechanism to launder money, concealing and hiding the source of criminal proceeds. The case has been concluded, and the individuals have been indicted according to law, with a recommendation for severe sentencing.
The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office today issued a press release stating that after receiving the report from the High Speed Rail Corporation, prosecutors directed a special task force composed of the Sixth Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, National Police Agency, Ministry of the Interior, and the Yuanlin Branch of the Changhua County Police Bureau to conduct an in-depth investigation. By reviewing High Speed Rail PNR ticketing system data and cross-referencing it with Taishin Bank's financial flow analysis, the overall crime network was successfully reconstructed.
The prosecutors stated that the fraud group, consisting of five individuals including Mr. Lin and Mr. Lai, began on June 21, 114 (Republic of China calendar), disseminating messages such as prize notifications, online shopping real-name authentication, and RMB exchange through social media (e.g., Instagram, Facebook). This lured eight victims, including a Mr. Liu, into error, instructing them to make payments using "Taiwan PAY."
The prosecutors pointed out that the funds paid by the victims were converted into bookings for long-distance business class high-speed rail tickets. Subsequently, members of the fraud group went to high-speed rail stations in Yunlin, Miaoli, Banqiao, Taoyuan, and Taichung, among other places, to process ticket refunds over the counter to obtain cash, totaling NT$260,000. By dispersing the transactions across multiple locations, they attempted to create breaks in the financial flow, aiming to conceal and hide the source of criminal proceeds.
The prosecutors stated that during the investigation, it was discovered that the group had considered using "purchasing airline tickets and then refunding them" as a money laundering method in the early stages of their crime. However, considering the fewer airport locations and strict security checks and identity verification, frequent ticket refunds would easily be detected by border management agencies. Therefore, they switched to high-speed rail stations, which have dense locations and large passenger flows, as their money laundering sites.
The prosecutors emphasized that this money laundering model, which combines a transportation system with payment tools, is novel in its approach. Furthermore, operating across different counties and cities significantly increased the difficulty for prosecutors and police to trace. The five defendants in this case, including the suspect Mr. Lin, are suspected of violating the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Criminal Code's joint fraud and acquisition of property offense, and the Money Laundering Control Act.
The prosecutors said that considering the defendants are young and capable of earning a living, yet chose not to follow the right path and collaboratively engaged in fraud and money laundering activities, fostering the spread of fraud crimes and severely undermining social trust and financial transaction order, they have requested the court to impose severe sentences for each of their offenses, suggesting imprisonment for more than 2 years as a deterrent.