The Taiwan Chiayi District Prosecutors Office (CYDPO), led by Prosecutor Huang Tian-yi and in coordination with the Seventh Criminal Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and the Chiayi City Police Department, has investigated a transnational money laundering, underground remittance, and tax evasion ring fronted by defendants surnamed Yang under the guise of operating a telecommunications business. With the investigation concluded, public indictments have been filed according to the law. To serve as a severe deterrent, the prosecution has requested the court to impose a heavy sentence of over 10 years in prison for the ringleader, Yang ○-wen, and over 8 years for another primary suspect, Sun ○-ching.

The case originated from a report filed by a victim who was defrauded into depositing money after being tricked by fake gambling advertisements such as "FEIDA365" and "GSBET." A deep-dive analysis of the money trails by prosecutors and police revealed classic hallmarks of an underground money laundering furnace, prompting a report to Prosecutor Huang Tian-yi for directed investigation. Under instructions from the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office to execute the 2026 "Theme-Based Anti-Fraud: Clean Stream Operation," Prosecutor Huang launched three major waves of raids:

• First Wave (April 21, 2026): Searched 7 locations, including the residence and company of defendant Yang ○-wen, and successfully detained Yang in custody.

• Second Wave (June 24, 2026): Searched 11 residences of defendant Sun ○-ching and others, successfully securing Sun’s detention as well.

• Third Wave (August 10, 2026): Searched 3 premises, including the involved Jun-○ Joint Certified Public Accountants Firm, seizing related false invoices.

Tracing the network upstream layer by layer, law enforcement completed a solid collection of evidence, capturing 12 suspects, including Yang. Demonstrating a resolve to "sever financial lifelines completely," prosecutors applied for and secured court orders from the Chiayi District Court to freeze the bank accounts and seize vehicles belonging to the involved companies and defendants. The seized assets include account balances totaling NT$9,563,730 and 3 private passenger vehicles owned by Yang and other defendants.

The investigation revealed that while primary suspects Yang ○-wen, Sun ○-ching, and others ostensibly operated physical stores like "Apple House Telecom Technology Co., Ltd.," they exploited the plausible legitimacy of corporate account transactions. They disguised NT$156,392,820 in fraud and illegal gambling proceeds routed through accounts like "Apple House Digital Technology" as "payment for goods." To evade bank compliance reviews, they split and transferred NT$155,753,390 into private and money mule accounts. Simultaneously, they conducted unauthorized cross-strait underground remittances totaling NT$2,649,825. Furthermore, to bypass bank risk controls and evade taxes, Yang instructed accountants Lai ○-hong and Lai ○-hsiang to fabricate mobile phone transactions and issue false invoices, facilitating business tax evasion totaling NT$1,714,590.

Defendants Yang ○-wen, Sun ○-ching, Chiu ○-yun, and Ho ○-yu are charged with offenses including:

• Aggravated Fraud under the Criminal Code

• Special Money Laundering under the Money Laundering Control Act

• Participation in a Criminal Organization under the Organized Crime Prevention Act

• Unauthorized Domestic and Foreign Remittance Services under the Banking Act

Defendants Yang ○-wen, Lai ○-hong, and Lai ○-hsiang are additionally charged with issuing false accounting receipts under the Commercial Accounting Act, as well as tax evasion and aiding tax evasion under the Tax Collection Act.

The Chiayi District Prosecutors Office strongly urges the public not to lease, lend, or sell personal bank accounts, establish shell companies for quick profits, or issue false invoices, lest they become accomplices to fraud and money laundering syndicates. The Office will steadfastly uphold its commitment to "cut off financial lifelines and combat fraud with full force," severely punishing cross-border money laundering and organized crime to safeguard social financial security and protect citizens' property rights.