TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of military personnel involved in criminal cases in Taiwan has surged fivefold over the past decade, according to the Supreme Prosecutors Office.
Criminal cases handled by prosecutors increased from 867 in 2014 to 4,743 in 2024. Nearly half of the indictments are related to breaking national security laws, per CNA.
Officials attribute the increase in part to Taiwan’s recent conscription reforms. The government extended mandatory military service from four months to one year for men born after 1994, a move expected to further increase military-related crime.
In response, the Supreme Prosecutors Office published a report in its January journal outlining strategies for prosecutors. According to the report, 55.6% of military-related offenses involved general crimes such as fraud, drug offenses, assault, money laundering, and gambling.
More serious crimes, including sexual assault and homicide, accounted for 35% of cases. Military discipline violations made up 9.4%.
Among discipline-related offenses, corruption had the highest indictment rate at 59%, followed by national security violations at 46.7%. These cases included espionage, recruiting for foreign organizations, and filming surrender videos in uniform in exchange for financial compensation.
Espionage cases
One example is retired Air Force Colonel Liu Sheng-shu (劉聖恕), who was convicted of recruiting active-duty and retired officers to spy for China. After retiring in 2013, Liu moved to China for business but was later recruited by Chinese intelligence services.
He returned to Taiwan and leveraged his military contacts to gather classified information. This led to his conviction and a 20-year prison sentence, according to CNA.
In another case, Taiwan’s High Court in August ruled on an espionage plot involving Lieutenant Colonel Hsieh Meng-shu (謝孟書) of the Aviation and Special Forces Command. Hsieh was accused of conspiring to hijack a CH-47 Chinook military helicopter and defect to China, according to CNA.
Additionally, military personnel Lu Chun-fang (陸駿方) recorded a psychological warfare video pledging allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party. Hsieh and others involved in these cases received sentences of up to 13 years in prison with the possibility of appeal.
While such cases remain infrequent, the office emphasized their significant impact on national security.
China's infiltration shift
The Supreme Prosecutors Office also highlighted the challenges of investigating military-related leaks. Taiwan’s defense ministry follows a strict classified information review process, which can impact the speed of investigations.
Prosecutors also warned that China’s espionage tactics have shifted. Instead of targeting high-ranking military officials, Chinese intelligence agencies are now recruiting lower-ranking personnel and even civilians.
To address the rise in military-related crimes, the Supreme Prosecutors Office has held multiple coordination meetings with national security and military agencies. These discussions led to nine key agreements, including clearly defining major military offenses, enhancing coordination between prosecutors and military authorities, and improving support for victims filing complaints.
The office emphasized that maintaining a strong and disciplined military is essential for Taiwan’s national security.
