TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A police sniffer dog detected key evidence that helped bust an NT$5.1 billion (US$157.1 million) money laundering operation in Kaohsiung, including the arrest of 12 suspects.
A 39-year-old man surnamed Cheng (鄭) recruited a 34-year-old man surnamed Su (蘇) as a key member for the operation in exchange for a monthly salary of NT$70,000, per CNA. They rented houses in Kaohsiung and Pingtung to launder cash from overseas gambling websites and recruited 10 individuals to work as customer service personnel in shifts.
At a press conference on Thursday (July 4), the Kaohsiung City Police Department Criminal Investigation Corps said that the group recruited members through online job postings or by having existing members bring in friends and relatives. They lured young people with promises of "high pay, easy work, and no experience required" to help transfer illicit funds from offshore gambling and investment scam websites.
The group used offshore accounts to layer the transfers to avoid detection, taking a cut from the transactions and using automated programs to simplify manual tasks. Within six months, the gambling websites are estimated to have laundered over four trillion Vietnamese Dong, roughly NT$5.1 billion.
Upon receiving a tip, the police formed a task force and after gathering evidence raided three locations. With the help of "Wafer," an electronic storage device detection dog (K9 ESD) from the Third Special Police Corps, they found hidden electronic devices and seized crucial evidence.
Subsequently, police arrested Su and 11 others. After concluding the investigation, the prosecution charged all 12 individuals with violating the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法) and other offenses.
The police noted that Wafter was trained in the U.S. before being transferred to the Third Special Police Corps. The K9 ESD can detect chemical compounds found in electronic devices such as triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), enabling the police to find smaller devices such as SIM cards and mobile phones during searches.
In this case, Wafer found two mobile phones in the money laundering operation's hub, aiding the police in obtaining more evidence of the crimes.
