Taiwanese fraud drops thanks to Chinese intervention

Taiwan’s fraud cases fell 26% in 2010 from the previous year after the island joined hands with China to fight crime, the government said on Sunday.

A total of 28 494 cases were reported in 2010 involving Tw$6.11-billion in losses, compared with 38 802 cases involving Tw$10.27-billion in 2009, according to the latest Taiwan government figures.

Nearly 3 000 suspects have been nabbed since the two sides started to cooperate in 2009 to crack down on growing internet and telephone fraud involving criminals on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the government said.

Taiwan and China have been collaborating in information-sharing, coordinating raids and extraditing criminals to crack down on crimes including fraud, drug smuggling and currency counterfeit.

In one of the largest busts, nearly 600 people were arrested 2011 across Taiwan, China and Southeast Asia in coordinated raids against scam rings, according to Taiwanese police.

China was a favourite destination for Taiwanese criminals hoping to evade arrest until Taipei and Beijing signed a crime-fighting agreement in 2009 amid improving ties.

The two sides split in 1949 after a civil war but Beijing still sees the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.—Sapa-AFP