Taiwan cracks down on online gambling money laundering activities, key figures including Police Chief Lin Ming-tso detained

With the booming development of the online gaming industry, related illegal issues have become increasingly serious. In order to eradicate gambling crimes and maintain social order, the Taiwanese law enforcement agencies have launched large-scale special operations to crack down on online gaming and money laundering activities.

Government Focuses on Online Gambling Money Laundering Issues

A recent investigation has revealed that many so-called "entertainment cities" are using cryptocurrencies and third-party payment platforms for money laundering activities. As President-elect Lai Ching-te is set to be inaugurated on May 20, senior prosecutors and police have launched a 10-day "anti-gambling crackdown" operation. The focus of these consecutive actions is to cleanse gambling venues and will be carried out nationwide from May 6 to May 15.

Police Supervisory Officer Involved in Gambling Crimes

Shockingly, even Criminal Investigation Bureau's Lin Ming-tso, a two-star police supervisory officer, is suspected of colluding with gambling groups, with 20 million Taiwanese dollars allegedly flowing into his personal account. This revelation exposes corruption within the law enforcement system and raises questions about the cleanliness of the police force internally.

Expansion of Crackdown Scope

In addition to targeting online gambling operators, this crackdown operation also involves large-scale professional casinos and other illegal activities such as arms and drug trafficking. Furthermore, the prosecution and police have issued hundreds of search warrants and plan to launch a second wave of search operations in the coming weeks to further squeeze criminal activities.

Gambling Operator Guo Zemin Charged with Money Laundering

In another case, Guo Zemin, the head of the AE Group, has been indicted for operating illegal gambling websites and engaging in underground money laundering activities amounting to 21.7 billion Taiwanese dollars. Guo Zemin's arrest once again highlights the severity of Taiwan's online gambling money laundering issues.

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Continued Monitoring and Future Directions

Despite some cases involving the largest online gambling website "Starcity Online" being closed, legal disputes have not been fully resolved, indicating that the government still needs to put in more effort to uphold legal justice and combat crime. Before the inauguration ceremony on May 20, prosecutors and police will publicly announce the preliminary results of the operation to demonstrate their determination and effectiveness.