Chinese sampan carrying "precious metal strategic materials" rushed to the sea off Shimen before the election, and 2 men were taken into custody

The Coast Guard's radar post discovered a suspicious outboard motor sampan at around 1 a.m. today (May 5) at 6 nautical miles off Shimen, New Taipei City. It notified a 100-ton patrol boat to intercept it and found out that the sampan had departed from Quanzhou, China. , carrying multiple boxes of precious metal strategic materials related to the high-tech industry, two Chinese men surnamed Xiao were arrested on the ship on the spot and transferred to the Shilin District Procuratorate. After the prosecutor reviewed the case, they requested for detention, and the Shilin District Court approved the detention in the evening.

The Academician’s ruling pointed out that the two men were suspected of serious illegal entry crimes under the Immigration and Immigration Act and the Cross-Strait People’s Relations Regulations. They were both Chinese nationals, had no fixed residence in Taiwan, and had no relatives in Taiwan. They dumped the suspected smuggled items at a designated location and immediately wanted to return. The facts were sufficient to recognize that they were in danger of fleeing, and there was a reason and necessity for detention, so it was ruled that they should be detained.

While monitoring the radar screen in the early morning of the 5th, officers on duty at the radar post of the Coast Guard learned that the suspicious target was sailing in a straight line from Quanzhou, China, toward Taiwan waters and approaching the north coast. They immediately notified and dispatched an emergency 100-ton patrol boat to 6 nautical miles off Shimen, New Taipei, to intercept the outboard motor sampan that was trying to connect and break through at night.

The investigators boarded the ship and controlled the two men on the ship, seized the sampan, and seized many boxes of heavy metal objects that were tightly wrapped and stacked on the ship, and transported them back to the port area for inspection.

The task force initially unpacked and inspected the items, and found that they were not common smuggled agricultural products or seafood such as mushrooms and tea, nor drugs, but rare precious metal high-tech strategic materials with commercial value or even national defense value. The exact material still needs to be confirmed.

It was less than a month before the election and the timing was sensitive. The inspector immediately ordered the Coast Guard to form a task force to expand the investigation and trace the source of the consignment. Currently, they are deeply reserved about disclosing the items and quantities of the seized items.

After the review of the interrogation, the Civil Service Examination concluded that the two men were unclear about the motive of transporting the goods, the destination of the connection, and the price. They were Chinese nationals and were in danger of fleeing. They applied to the Military Academy for detention and were approved. They are currently investigating the crime of illegal entry. They do not rule out upgrading the investigation to the National Security Law and Anti-infiltration Law to expand the investigation.