TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) on Thursday (March 9) demanded an end to high-profile parties by organized crime groups after camera footage went viral of 1,000 people attending a Lunar New Year celebration.
A faction of the Bamboo Union gang, the largest of Taiwan's three main criminal syndicates, organized the March 6 event at the five-star Taipei Marriott Hotel, booking 80 tables and arranging for 170 women in traditional dress to welcome visitors, the Liberty Times reported. Other organized crime groups were later revealed to have hosted similar events, provoking public concern about their visibility.
At Thursday’s regular weekly Cabinet meeting, Chen said police at every level should take action to counter such behavior. Officers should more frequently check criminals' gathering places and collect evidence about illegal activities.
In addition to the Ministry of Interior overseeing the police, the Ministry of Justice should play its part by mobilizing prosecutors to step up their investigations into organized crime, a Cabinet spokesman quoted the premier as saying. The government is dedicated to maintaining law and order and combating criminal elements.