Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06TAIPEI1400
2006-04-21 08:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
Police Raids Human Trafficking Ring in Southern Taiwan
how-toVZCZCXRO0335 RR RUEHCN RUEHGH DE RUEHIN #1400 1110853 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 210853Z APR 06 FM AIT TAIPEI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9832 INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5104 RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 9260 RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 6305 RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 5172 RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0071 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1213
UNCLAS TAIPEI 001400
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/PD AND EAP/TC
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR TW KS KCRM
SUBJECT: Police Raids Human Trafficking Ring in Southern Taiwan
UNCLAS TAIPEI 001400
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/PD AND EAP/TC
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR TW KS KCRM
SUBJECT: Police Raids Human Trafficking Ring in Southern Taiwan
1. (U) Working on a tip, on April 19 the Kaohsiung criminal police
raided a human trafficking ring that had arranged for Chinese women
to enter into Taiwan by means of sham marriages. The "brides" were
actually coming to work in the sex trade. The police arrested the
head of the trafficking ring, Wu Hong-meng (Chinese Telegraph code
0702 7703 1322),Wu's Chinese wife, five other members of the
trafficking ring, and seven PRC women who had been brought to Taiwan
by the ring.
2. (SBU) Kaohsiung Police had been conducting surveillance on Wu
and his organization since December of last year. According to the
police, the seven Chinese women entered sham marriages with
Taiwanese men and came to Taiwan in late 2005 and early 2006. After
their arrest, the seven Chinese women told the Police that they were
aware before they came to Taiwan that they were destined for the sex
trade. According to the police, Wu has brought at least twenty
other PRC women to Taiwan to engage in prostitution. Local Police
suspect that Wu is cooperating with mainland Chinese gangsters to
run the trafficking ring.
3. (SBU) Prosecutor Wu Hsieh-chan said that the "husbands" would
be charged with "uttering a false public document," which carries a
maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. Due to their
cooperation, the women will not likely be prosecuted for
prostitution, but rather processed for deportation.
4. (SBU) Comment. Charging the "husbands" under the public
document statutes is an important departure from previous practice.
Generally, charges are filed under the marriage statutes, which
carry a maximum penalty of not more than three years. Since all
sentences of three years or less are converted to fines, usually at
the rate of one thousand NT Dollars(U.S. $31.75) per year, the
charges do little to deter fraudulent marriages. Using the public
document charge, perpetrators face the prospect of jail time, which
may help Taiwan authorities get a handle on the problem. End
Comment.
Thiele
Young
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/PD AND EAP/TC
FROM AIT KAOHSIUNG BRANCH OFFICE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SNAR TW KS KCRM
SUBJECT: Police Raids Human Trafficking Ring in Southern Taiwan
1. (U) Working on a tip, on April 19 the Kaohsiung criminal police
raided a human trafficking ring that had arranged for Chinese women
to enter into Taiwan by means of sham marriages. The "brides" were
actually coming to work in the sex trade. The police arrested the
head of the trafficking ring, Wu Hong-meng (Chinese Telegraph code
0702 7703 1322),Wu's Chinese wife, five other members of the
trafficking ring, and seven PRC women who had been brought to Taiwan
by the ring.
2. (SBU) Kaohsiung Police had been conducting surveillance on Wu
and his organization since December of last year. According to the
police, the seven Chinese women entered sham marriages with
Taiwanese men and came to Taiwan in late 2005 and early 2006. After
their arrest, the seven Chinese women told the Police that they were
aware before they came to Taiwan that they were destined for the sex
trade. According to the police, Wu has brought at least twenty
other PRC women to Taiwan to engage in prostitution. Local Police
suspect that Wu is cooperating with mainland Chinese gangsters to
run the trafficking ring.
3. (SBU) Prosecutor Wu Hsieh-chan said that the "husbands" would
be charged with "uttering a false public document," which carries a
maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment. Due to their
cooperation, the women will not likely be prosecuted for
prostitution, but rather processed for deportation.
4. (SBU) Comment. Charging the "husbands" under the public
document statutes is an important departure from previous practice.
Generally, charges are filed under the marriage statutes, which
carry a maximum penalty of not more than three years. Since all
sentences of three years or less are converted to fines, usually at
the rate of one thousand NT Dollars(U.S. $31.75) per year, the
charges do little to deter fraudulent marriages. Using the public
document charge, perpetrators face the prospect of jail time, which
may help Taiwan authorities get a handle on the problem. End
Comment.
Thiele
Young