TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A criminal on the run from Taiwanese authorities for over 20 years was apprehended in the Philippines earlier this month, and extradited to Taiwan on Thursday (March 22).
The fugitive, Chen Chien-ning (陳建寧), fled Taiwan in the early 2000s after being sentenced to nine years in prison for a kidnapping and ransom plot in Chiayi. After his sentencing in 2001, he escaped to the Philippines where he continued to engage in criminal activity for the next 20 years, until he was apprehended by the Philippine Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on March 1.
TVBS reported that Manila wanted Chen to be tried in the Philippines for charges related to drug trafficking and gun smuggling. However, after several weeks of negotiations with Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), the decision was made to extradite Chen back to Taiwan.
Chen was deported to Taiwan on Thursday (March 22) and arrived in Taipei that afternoon. It is expected he will serve out his previous sentence for kidnapping and that he will face trial for new charges related to his escape and recent activity in the Philippines.
Over the last decade, Chen developed a reputation as a prolific arms dealer in Manila, known as the “Iron Tyrant” (鐵霸). He was found to be in possession of five pistols when he was arrested by Philippine police officers, reported TVBS.
Chen’s arrest in early March led Philippine authorities to uncover a storehouse of illegal weapons in Metro Manila, which was raided earlier this week.