Fraud Syndicate Recruits Former Changhua County Councilor as Money Mule; Police Arrest 42 in 5 Raids
During the investigation of a kidnapping and extortion case led by a man surnamed Lu, the Criminal Investigation Bureau discovered that former Changhua County Councilor Hung Po-Wei was recruited as a 'money mule' by a fraud syndicate. Police conducted five raids, arresting 42 individuals and seizing over NT$10 million in illicit gains, with the case now being prosecuted.
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- 📰 Published: May 4, 2026 at 11:52
- 🔍 Collected: May 4, 2026 at 12:01 (8 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 4, 2026 at 12:05 (3 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Zhao Li-Yan, Taichung, 4th) The Sixth Investigation Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, investigating a kidnapping and extortion case led by a man surnamed Lu, uncovered that a fraud syndicate had recruited former Changhua County Councilor Hung Po-Wei as a money mule. Police launched five waves of searches, arresting 42 individuals and seizing over ten million New Taiwan Dollars in illicit gains, subsequently transferring them for prosecution.
Today, the Central Crime Fighting Center of the Criminal Investigation Bureau issued a press release, stating that the Changhua District Prosecutors Office directed the Sixth Investigation Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Lugang Precinct of the Changhua County Police Bureau to form a special task force to investigate gang members led by 31-year-old Lu, involved in kidnapping, extortion, and other cases.
The investigation revealed that the violent incidents stemmed from internal conflicts within the fraud syndicate over illicit funds among its money mules. Lu and his associates had planned to run for local public office to conceal their gangster background and infiltrate local political power.
Police discovered that frontline money mule Hung Po-Wei, a former Changhua County Councilor, had committed crimes in northern Taiwan at the end of 2024. He was caught red-handed while conducting face-to-face transactions with fraud victims. Police arrested him in September last year, and he is currently serving a sentence for a previous case.
Investigators found that this fraud syndicate called itself the "Chenghuang Motorcade," with members using nicknames like "Seventh Lord," "Eighth Lord," "Civil Judge," "Martial Judge," and "Ox General." They had also used the nickname "Cao Cao," a historical figure from the Three Kingdoms period, and some members adopted nicknames of Wei kingdom strategists and generals like "Xun Yu," "Xu Chu," and "Xu Huang."
Each member's internal division of labor within the syndicate corresponded to their character's attributes. Among them, a suspect surnamed Zhang played the role of strategist "Xun Yu," responsible for liaising with the fraud call center to provide face-to-face transaction information to victims, which was then delegated to subordinate members to carry out at designated locations.
As the investigation expanded, from December 2024 to April this year, five waves of searches were conducted in New Taipei City, Taichung City, and Changhua County, leading to the arrest of 42 accomplices. More than 50 victims were identified, and over ten million New Taiwan Dollars in illicit gains were traced and intercepted. Prosecutors are currently handling the case on charges of fraud and other offenses. (Editor: Chen Ren-Hua) 1150504
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(Central News Agency reporter Zhao Li-Yan, Taichung, 4th) The Sixth Investigation Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, investigating a kidnapping and extortion case led by a man surnamed Lu, uncovered that a fraud syndicate had recruited former Changhua County Councilor Hung Po-Wei as a money mule. Police launched five waves of searches, arresting 42 individuals and seizing over ten million New Taiwan Dollars in illicit gains, subsequently transferring them for prosecution.
Today, the Central Crime Fighting Center of the Criminal Investigation Bureau issued a press release, stating that the Changhua District Prosecutors Office directed the Sixth Investigation Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Lugang Precinct of the Changhua County Police Bureau to form a special task force to investigate gang members led by 31-year-old Lu, involved in kidnapping, extortion, and other cases.
The investigation revealed that the violent incidents stemmed from internal conflicts within the fraud syndicate over illicit funds among its money mules. Lu and his associates had planned to run for local public office to conceal their gangster background and infiltrate local political power.
Police discovered that frontline money mule Hung Po-Wei, a former Changhua County Councilor, had committed crimes in northern Taiwan at the end of 2024. He was caught red-handed while conducting face-to-face transactions with fraud victims. Police arrested him in September last year, and he is currently serving a sentence for a previous case.
Investigators found that this fraud syndicate called itself the "Chenghuang Motorcade," with members using nicknames like "Seventh Lord," "Eighth Lord," "Civil Judge," "Martial Judge," and "Ox General." They had also used the nickname "Cao Cao," a historical figure from the Three Kingdoms period, and some members adopted nicknames of Wei kingdom strategists and generals like "Xun Yu," "Xu Chu," and "Xu Huang."
Each member's internal division of labor within the syndicate corresponded to their character's attributes. Among them, a suspect surnamed Zhang played the role of strategist "Xun Yu," responsible for liaising with the fraud call center to provide face-to-face transaction information to victims, which was then delegated to subordinate members to carry out at designated locations.
As the investigation expanded, from December 2024 to April this year, five waves of searches were conducted in New Taipei City, Taichung City, and Changhua County, leading to the arrest of 42 accomplices. More than 50 victims were identified, and over ten million New Taiwan Dollars in illicit gains were traced and intercepted. Prosecutors are currently handling the case on charges of fraud and other offenses. (Editor: Chen Ren-Hua) 1150504
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.