Coast Guard Lieutenant Colludes with Illicit Cigarette Group, Sentenced for Fraudulent Rewards, Deprived of Civil Rights for 4 Years
A Taiwanese Coast Guard investigator was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison and deprived of civil rights for 4 years for colluding with an illicit cigarette group, leaking information, and defrauding reward money through fake arrests. Criminal proceeds exceeded NT$3.32 million.
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- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 11:24
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 11:31 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 22:09 (10h 37m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Zheng Weizhen, Changhua, 1st) A lieutenant investigator surnamed Lin from the Investigation Division of the Ocean Affairs Council's Coast Guard Administration was involved in colluding with an illicit cigarette group and fraudulently claiming reward money, with criminal proceeds exceeding NT$3.32 million. The Changhua District Court concluded the trial, sentencing him to 7 years and 2 months in prison for the non-commutable part and deprivation of civil rights for 4 years. The verdict can be appealed.
When the Taiwan Changhua District Prosecutors Office investigated a case of obstructing agricultural, industrial, and commercial activities in 2023, it found that police officers had long used the police system to check vehicle registration data for specific individuals, suspected of sheltering illicit cigarette groups. After long-term investigation, it was discovered that Lieutenant Investigator Lin had long-term improper dealings with the 'Dabing' illicit cigarette group operated by a couple surnamed Huang, and was involved in faking arrests and fraudulently claiming reward money.
The prosecution's investigation revealed that Lin, knowing that the 'Dabing' illicit cigarette group was a large-scale illegal manufacturer of illicit cigarettes, agreed with them starting in 2019. Lin would leak investigation intelligence and assist in evading crackdowns, acting as an enforcer for the group. The Huang couple would provide information on other domestic illicit cigarette producers, allowing Lin to crack down on competitors and improve his performance.
According to prosecution data, the Huang couple bribed Lin with an electric car worth over NT$2 million. Lin accepted the bribe and, under the guise of handling cases, asked local police officers to check vehicle registration data of suspicious vehicles identified by Huang, to avoid crackdowns by other government agencies. Lin also repeatedly leaked information about joint inspection times and the situation at crackdown sites as a quid pro quo for the bribes.
Furthermore, the prosecution found that Lin colluded with accomplices to use homeless or financially disadvantaged individuals as 'scapegoats' for arrests, to fraudulently claim and share reward money, thereby inflating fake performance and rewards for cracking down on illicit cigarettes. This created cumulative administrative fines exceeding NT$400 million based on fake performance, but with no actual administrative enforcement benefit for the 'scapegoats'.
The Changhua District Prosecutors Office indicted Lin for offenses under the Anti-Corruption Act (public officials receiving bribes or improper benefits for acts contrary to their duties), crimes involving secrets other than national defense, causing public officials to make false entries in public documents, and illegal collection and leakage of personal data in violation of the Personal Data Protection Act.
After trial by the Taiwan Changhua District Court, for the non-commutable part, he was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison and deprived of civil rights for 4 years. For the commutable part, he was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. For the part that is non-commutable but can be substituted with social labor, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison. (Editor: Li Mingzong) 1150501
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(Central News Agency reporter Zheng Weizhen, Changhua, 1st) A lieutenant investigator surnamed Lin from the Investigation Division of the Ocean Affairs Council's Coast Guard Administration was involved in colluding with an illicit cigarette group and fraudulently claiming reward money, with criminal proceeds exceeding NT$3.32 million. The Changhua District Court concluded the trial, sentencing him to 7 years and 2 months in prison for the non-commutable part and deprivation of civil rights for 4 years. The verdict can be appealed.
When the Taiwan Changhua District Prosecutors Office investigated a case of obstructing agricultural, industrial, and commercial activities in 2023, it found that police officers had long used the police system to check vehicle registration data for specific individuals, suspected of sheltering illicit cigarette groups. After long-term investigation, it was discovered that Lieutenant Investigator Lin had long-term improper dealings with the 'Dabing' illicit cigarette group operated by a couple surnamed Huang, and was involved in faking arrests and fraudulently claiming reward money.
The prosecution's investigation revealed that Lin, knowing that the 'Dabing' illicit cigarette group was a large-scale illegal manufacturer of illicit cigarettes, agreed with them starting in 2019. Lin would leak investigation intelligence and assist in evading crackdowns, acting as an enforcer for the group. The Huang couple would provide information on other domestic illicit cigarette producers, allowing Lin to crack down on competitors and improve his performance.
According to prosecution data, the Huang couple bribed Lin with an electric car worth over NT$2 million. Lin accepted the bribe and, under the guise of handling cases, asked local police officers to check vehicle registration data of suspicious vehicles identified by Huang, to avoid crackdowns by other government agencies. Lin also repeatedly leaked information about joint inspection times and the situation at crackdown sites as a quid pro quo for the bribes.
Furthermore, the prosecution found that Lin colluded with accomplices to use homeless or financially disadvantaged individuals as 'scapegoats' for arrests, to fraudulently claim and share reward money, thereby inflating fake performance and rewards for cracking down on illicit cigarettes. This created cumulative administrative fines exceeding NT$400 million based on fake performance, but with no actual administrative enforcement benefit for the 'scapegoats'.
The Changhua District Prosecutors Office indicted Lin for offenses under the Anti-Corruption Act (public officials receiving bribes or improper benefits for acts contrary to their duties), crimes involving secrets other than national defense, causing public officials to make false entries in public documents, and illegal collection and leakage of personal data in violation of the Personal Data Protection Act.
After trial by the Taiwan Changhua District Court, for the non-commutable part, he was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in prison and deprived of civil rights for 4 years. For the commutable part, he was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. For the part that is non-commutable but can be substituted with social labor, he was sentenced to 8 months in prison. (Editor: Li Mingzong) 1150501
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Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.