TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — In March, 16 dead bodies were discovered along Taiwan’s west coast between the cities of Taoyuan and Kaohsiung, between March 4 and 17, fueling speculation about human trafficking operations.

Most of the victims, both men and women, were found by the Taiwan Coast Guard on Taiwan’s beaches or floating near the coast. In one case, the body of a man who died of exposure was found on a wind turbine platform near Taichung harbor on March 7, reported UDN.

The cases have been referred to District Prosecutors’ Offices in Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Yunlin, Changhua, and Kaohsiung for investigation. Two of the bodies have been identified as Vietnamese, while the nationality and identity of 14 others remains unknown, reported LTN.



It has not been confirmed that the cases are related, but it is suspected that the victims are connected to a human trafficking group smuggling Vietnamese nationals into the country. Law enforcement officers have reportedly contacted the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei for assistance in their investigation.

Based on the dispersal of the bodies, authorities believe that smugglers' boats may have capsized near the median line of the Taiwan Strait around the beginning of March. The victims’ bodies could have drifted southward down Taiwan’s coast in ocean currents.