TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The captain of a freighter crewed by Chinese nationals has been sentenced to three years in prison for severing an undersea communications cable between Taiwan proper and Penghu.
The Hong Tai 58, a Togo-flagged cargo ship with Chinese ownership ties, severed the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable linking Taiwan and Penghu in late February. On Thursday, Tainan District Court found the Chinese captain, surnamed Wang (王), guilty of breaching Article 72 of the Telecommunications Management Act and sentenced him to a fixed term of three years, per CNA.
The Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable, maintained by Chunghwa Telecom, lies 5 nautical miles (9.26 km) off the coast of Tainan's Beimen District. The Hong Tai 58’s electronic nautical charts marked the cable's location, while the area was publicly designated as a no-anchoring zone due to the presence of critical infrastructure.
After entering the restricted zone between 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 3 a.m. on Feb. 25, Wang instructed two crew members, surnamed Chin (秦) and Chang (張), to release six shackles of anchor chain (approximately 160 meters) and the anchor into the sea. However, the anchor did not settle properly on the seabed.
The vessel subsequently drifted in a zigzag pattern on the surface, causing the cable to snap completely, disrupting telecommunications services. Wang admitted to ordering the crew to drop anchor but denied intentionally damaging the cable, claiming it was negligence.
The court, however, concluded that Wang had willfully anchored in a prohibited zone and allowed the vessel to drift, leading to the cable being dragged and severed. Chunghwa Telecom incurred more than NT$17 million (US$5.78 million) in repair costs and over NT$1.8 million in shipping agency service fees.
Following the February incident, Wang was detained incommunicado. The Tainan District Prosecutors Office concluded its investigation and indicted him on April 11.
The case was then transferred to Tainan District Court, which upheld his detention. Seven other crew members were not indicted due to insufficient evidence and were deported.
