Fraud Syndicate Colludes with Gold Shops to Launder Over NT$100 Million; CIB Detains 11 Suspects for Prosecution
A fraud and money laundering group led by a man surnamed Wang colluded with offshore facilities and local gold shops to launder over NT$100 million using UnionPay cards. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) conducted three waves of arrests, detaining 11 suspects, with 8 of them remanded in custody.
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- 📰 Published: May 6, 2026 at 17:20
- 🔍 Collected: May 6, 2026 at 17:33 (12 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 6, 2026 at 19:39 (2h 5m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Huang Li-chen, Taipei, May 6th) A fraud and money laundering group led by a man surnamed Wang, in collaboration with offshore call centers, defrauded individuals in mainland China by impersonating police and prosecutors. They colluded with domestic gold shops to launder money by converting UnionPay card transactions into cash. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) launched three waves of crackdowns, detaining 11 suspects, 8 of whom have been remanded in custody and prohibited from communicating with others.
The CIB today held a press conference to announce the case. Captain Zhong Xiao-lun of the Second Investigation Brigade, First Team, stated that they recently received intelligence indicating that gold shop operators were colluding with a fraud and money laundering group, providing a way to launder money by exchanging UnionPay card swipes for cash. A special task force was immediately formed with the Keelung City Police Bureau and New Taipei City Police Department, and the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office was assigned to direct the investigation.
Investigations revealed that this fraud and money laundering operation was led by a man surnamed Wang, in his 40s, who had long invested in used car dealerships and pawn shops. He recruited his friend Lin and Ye, a member of the Zhulian Gang's Xin Tang Cheng Xin Hui, to serve as key members of the money laundering ring. Starting from the end of 2024, they collaborated with offshore fraud call centers, which used the fake police/prosecutor tactic to defraud people in mainland China. The money laundering ring then transferred the illicit gains out of Taiwan.
The money laundering group then sought cooperation from two gold shops and one imported jewelry and luxury goods store in Taipei City, as well as one gold shop in New Taipei City, for money laundering. Information such as the UnionPay card numbers of the victims in mainland China, obtained through fraud, were bound to mobile applications used for the scheme. Then, card swipers were arranged to use their phones to tap and swipe cards, making fake purchases of gold at designated gold shops and forging signatures on transaction slips. This created the illusion of legitimate transactions, leading the acquiring banks to mistakenly believe they were legal transactions and disburse funds to the gold shops' accounts.
Subsequently, the money laundering ring dispatched couriers to collect cash from the gold shops and created breaks in the financial trail through multiple layers of cash transfers, completing the cross-border money laundering.
Huang, one of the money laundering members, even provided vehicles from his catering company for unknown drivers to collect cash from gold shops and transport the illicit funds, using legitimate business to cover illegal activities. The gold shop operators agreed to a profit-sharing ratio of approximately 15% to 20%.
After long-term evidence collection and analysis of related financial flows, the special task force carried out three waves of crackdowns in November 2025, February, and April of this year. A total of 11 suspects, including Wang, were detained, and three gold shops, one boutique, and the involved catering company were searched. It is known that 18 people have been victimized, and the estimated amount of money laundered is approximately NT$117 million.
The entire case has been transferred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for investigation under charges of aggravated fraud, forgery of documents, and violations of the Money Laundering Control Act, the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Banking Act, and the Fraud Hazard Prevention Act. Eight suspects, including Wang, were ruled by the court to be remanded in custody and prohibited from communicating with others, while the remaining two suspects were released on bail of NT$300,000 each, and one suspect was restricted from residence. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150506
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(Central News Agency reporter Huang Li-chen, Taipei, May 6th) A fraud and money laundering group led by a man surnamed Wang, in collaboration with offshore call centers, defrauded individuals in mainland China by impersonating police and prosecutors. They colluded with domestic gold shops to launder money by converting UnionPay card transactions into cash. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) launched three waves of crackdowns, detaining 11 suspects, 8 of whom have been remanded in custody and prohibited from communicating with others.
The CIB today held a press conference to announce the case. Captain Zhong Xiao-lun of the Second Investigation Brigade, First Team, stated that they recently received intelligence indicating that gold shop operators were colluding with a fraud and money laundering group, providing a way to launder money by exchanging UnionPay card swipes for cash. A special task force was immediately formed with the Keelung City Police Bureau and New Taipei City Police Department, and the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office was assigned to direct the investigation.
Investigations revealed that this fraud and money laundering operation was led by a man surnamed Wang, in his 40s, who had long invested in used car dealerships and pawn shops. He recruited his friend Lin and Ye, a member of the Zhulian Gang's Xin Tang Cheng Xin Hui, to serve as key members of the money laundering ring. Starting from the end of 2024, they collaborated with offshore fraud call centers, which used the fake police/prosecutor tactic to defraud people in mainland China. The money laundering ring then transferred the illicit gains out of Taiwan.
The money laundering group then sought cooperation from two gold shops and one imported jewelry and luxury goods store in Taipei City, as well as one gold shop in New Taipei City, for money laundering. Information such as the UnionPay card numbers of the victims in mainland China, obtained through fraud, were bound to mobile applications used for the scheme. Then, card swipers were arranged to use their phones to tap and swipe cards, making fake purchases of gold at designated gold shops and forging signatures on transaction slips. This created the illusion of legitimate transactions, leading the acquiring banks to mistakenly believe they were legal transactions and disburse funds to the gold shops' accounts.
Subsequently, the money laundering ring dispatched couriers to collect cash from the gold shops and created breaks in the financial trail through multiple layers of cash transfers, completing the cross-border money laundering.
Huang, one of the money laundering members, even provided vehicles from his catering company for unknown drivers to collect cash from gold shops and transport the illicit funds, using legitimate business to cover illegal activities. The gold shop operators agreed to a profit-sharing ratio of approximately 15% to 20%.
After long-term evidence collection and analysis of related financial flows, the special task force carried out three waves of crackdowns in November 2025, February, and April of this year. A total of 11 suspects, including Wang, were detained, and three gold shops, one boutique, and the involved catering company were searched. It is known that 18 people have been victimized, and the estimated amount of money laundered is approximately NT$117 million.
The entire case has been transferred to the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office for investigation under charges of aggravated fraud, forgery of documents, and violations of the Money Laundering Control Act, the Organized Crime Prevention Act, the Banking Act, and the Fraud Hazard Prevention Act. Eight suspects, including Wang, were ruled by the court to be remanded in custody and prohibited from communicating with others, while the remaining two suspects were released on bail of NT$300,000 each, and one suspect was restricted from residence. (Editor: Chen Ching-fang) 1150506
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship you provide is the power to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-Hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.