Police Deploy 4,000 Officers, Arrest 320 to Block Foreign Election Interference

In order to comprehensively stabilize domestic public order during the upcoming critical election period and to prevent foreign forces from conducting cross-border interference and suppression through local illicit organizations, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the National Police Agency recently coordinated nationwide police resources to launch a large-scale crackdown project targeting gang and underworld forces. This public order maintenance operation, jointly executed by central and local police agencies, mobilized more than 4,000 officers to conduct high-intensity inspections and searches of business establishments, gathering spots, and public order hotspots frequently visited by gang members across the country. During the intensive investigation operations spanning several days, police arrested a total of 320 suspects involved in multiple suspected illegal cases, demonstrating the government’s firm determination to strictly enforce the law and crack down on illicit organizations.

In recent years, with shifts in the international geopolitical landscape and the convenience of information dissemination, the boundaries between national security and public order maintenance have gradually become blurred. Elections in democratic nations often become targets for foreign hostile forces or specific interest groups attempting to intervene. The use of local illicit gang organizations as "local collaborators" to carry out cross-border suppression, intimidation, intelligence gathering, or public opinion manipulation has become a new type of threat that security and national security units in various countries are highly vigilant about. Positioned at the forefront of democratic defense, Taiwan faces upcoming elections at various levels. Effectively blocking foreign forces from extending their hands into the domestic public order system and severing the profit ties between cross-border crime and local gangs has become a top priority in current public order work.

To implement this preventive work, under the command of CIB Director Chiu Shao-zhou, police conducted a comprehensive investigation and suppression of gang groups across the island. Police stated that this crackdown operation targets not only traditional public order incidents such as violent debt collection, fraud, money laundering, and drug trafficking, but also lists the prevention of "local collaborators in cross-border suppression" as a core mission. This means that during the intelligence gathering phase, police have coordinated with national security units to deeply investigate individuals who may receive foreign funding, assist specific political purposes, or engage in activities that disrupt democratic processes. By precisely striking the economic lifelines and core members of criminal organizations, police aim to thoroughly dismantle their potential destructive capabilities.

In the large-scale crackdown launched simultaneously nationwide, police forces across the island demonstrated high execution capability. The mobilized 4,000 officers conducted aggressive inspections and road checks at gang bases, pawnshops, hotels, casinos, and other places prone to harboring illicit activities in various counties and cities. Through high-density patrols and surprise searches, police not only seized multiple cases violating the Firearms, Ammunition, and Blades Control Act, the Anti-Organized Crime Act, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act on the spot, but also effectively suppressed the arrogance of gang members. Police noted that many gang groups routinely rely on violent bidding, online casinos, and fraud groups to obtain excessive profits. These illicit gains often serve as the funding source for various criminal activities. Through the comprehensive seizure and crackdown in this project, substantial economic blows have been dealt to major domestic gangs.

When explaining the results of this project, CIB Director Chiu Shao-zhou emphasized that maintaining social public order and ensuring national security are the indispensable duties of the police. For any illegal actors who dare to scorn national rule of law, challenge public authority, or even touch the bottom line of national security, police will absolutely not adopt a lenient or compromising attitude, and will definitely conduct crackdowns with the strictest means. As the election timeline progresses, public expectations for public order stability and democratic fairness are increasing. Police will continue to maintain high-intensity investigation efforts until the elections conclude smoothly, proving through actual actions the government’s firm determination to protect democratic rule of law and ensure the people’s peace and prosperity.

(Source: Central News Agency)