Tourist driver, Hong Kong man arrested for high-profile money transfer in Taoyuan with more than 10 Taiwan bank cards

According to news reports, a Hong Kong male disguised as a tourist came to Taiwan, with behavior suspected of being a fraud team's money mule. He carried 11 Taiwanese financial cards and withdrew nearly 200,000 in cash between convenience stores and banks. The Hong Kong man, wearing a blue top, repeatedly operated ATMs while looking around nervously, ultimately being discovered by police. When police questioned him about his documents, they found Taiwanese financial withdrawal cards on him, and he was also carrying two mobile phones for reporting purposes. According to initial police investigations, the man was a Hong Kong money mule posing as a tourist, likely used by a fraud team as a tool for cross-border withdrawals, taking advantage of convenient transportation between Hong Kong and Taiwan for money laundering.

Hong Kong man speaking Cantonese loudly caught by police

According to reports, a man surnamed Chung from Hong Kong, carrying 11 Taiwanese bank financial cards, was arrested after conducting suspicious transfer activities. The man was speaking Cantonese loudly in a convenience store in Taoyuan's Luzhu District, repeatedly operating ATMs and then moving to other financial institutions to continue massive withdrawals. Due to his suspicious behavior, patrolling police became suspicious, monitored him, and determined he was likely an overseas money mule. The man was completely unaware that police were following him and was caught on the spot. After interrogation, he was transferred for prosecution under the "Money Laundering Prevention Act" and "Fraud Crime Prevention Regulations".

Jurisdiction for Hong Kong people committing crimes in Taiwan

Taiwan follows the "territorial principle", where foreign criminals can be prosecuted in Taiwan. However, for people from Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, many gray areas exist. A past case involving a Hong Kong man named Chen Tong, who killed his girlfriend during a tourist trip and fled to Hong Kong, raised debates about jurisdiction, ultimately avoiding judicial proceedings in Taiwan.

After Hong Kong's return to China, Taiwan and Hong Kong developed different political stances. Hong Kong people committing crimes in Taiwan have become a security loophole. These fake tourists are used as pawns by fraud and criminal groups. Sending these money mules back to Hong Kong for trial prevents Taiwanese intelligence units from tracking upstream accomplices. Hong Kong has also suffered from widespread fraud, with authorities actively combating money laundering and dummy accounts, recognizing that overseas individuals, elderly, and students are particularly vulnerable to fraud teams.

Taiwan, already struggling with widespread domestic fraud, now needs to establish a firewall against criminals in these ambiguous jurisdictions. In this case, the Hong Kong money mule was caught while conspicuously withdrawing money in Taoyuan, but would have been difficult to apprehend without his distinctive accent and behavior. The author notes that "normal" tourists from Hong Kong, Macau, and China are becoming increasingly rare. At Ximending and Taipei Main Station, many Mandarin-speaking visitors sit on the ground, eat lunch, chat without luggage, and don't appear to be tourists. Convenience stores often have Cantonese-speaking visitors with shoulder bags, making calls and checking time, with unclear purposes. While Taiwan's tourism industry is struggling and hopes for more visitors, if arrivals are primarily for criminal activities, they not only fail to generate GDP but also worsen security. The immigration and judicial authorities must consider how to create targeted regulations for these "tourism-type money mules".