Xizhi Police Precinct Detective Investigated and Detained for Alleged Information Leaks

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office has recently continued to expand its investigation into police officers involved in illegal activities, directing relevant units yesterday to execute search and detention operations targeting a detective surnamed Chen from the Xizhi Precinct of the New Taipei City Police Department. This case stems from a previous investigation by prosecutors and investigators into an officer surnamed Yeh from the Nangang Precinct of the Taipei City Police Department, who was suspected of participating in online gambling and earning service fees. During an in-depth investigation into cash flows and communication records, investigators unexpectedly discovered that Detective Chen from the Xizhi Precinct was suspected of leaking non-defense-related secrets and violating the Personal Data Protection Act. After securing relevant evidence, prosecutors and investigators swiftly took action and transferred the officer to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office this afternoon for further questioning to clarify the extent of his involvement and the full picture of the case.

Tracing the development of the entire case, it initially began when the Taipei District Prosecutors Office directed judicial police units to investigate the disciplinary violations of Officer Yeh from the Nangang Precinct. At the time, prosecutors and police discovered that Officer Yeh, a law enforcement officer, not only failed to fulfill his duties but was also suspected of unlawfully participating in online gambling activities, and even went a step further to assist with operations or earn related service fees within the system. As prosecutors and investigators conducted digital evidence restoration, communication surveillance, and account cash flow comparisons regarding the gambling case, the case gradually expanded outward. While filtering through related accomplices and contacts, investigators found that Detective Chen from the New Taipei City Xizhi Precinct intersected with the case and was suspected of unlawful searches and leaks in the line of duty, prompting them to list him as a target of investigation and report to prosecutors to direct the probe.

Regarding Detective Chen, who was searched and detained, he serves as a detective responsible for criminal affairs, with daily duties including criminal investigation, combating crime, and maintaining social security. However, as a frontline criminal investigator who should be a guardian of social security and strictly observe the law, he was suspected of using his position to look up specific personal data or leak confidential information to irrelevant individuals, and even became entangled in judicial cases related to gambling, dealing a severe blow to the overall image of the police agency. After a prolonged period of evidence gathering and assessment, prosecutors and investigators deemed the timing ripe and launched a search operation yesterday, executing searches at Chen's office and residence and lawfully detaining him, demonstrating the judicial authority's zero-tolerance attitude toward law enforcement personnel involved in illegal acts.

Following the completion of the searches and preliminary investigation yesterday, prosecutors and investigators transferred Detective Chen to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office this afternoon to undergo further questioning by a prosecutor. The prosecutor will conduct in-depth questioning on key issues such as the list of cases he handled, his motives for looking up personal data, the frequency of his contact with individuals related to the gambling case, and whether any monetary quid pro quo relationship existed. Such cases often involve complex underground networks, and the prosecution must use the questioning to clarify whether Chen merely engaged in unauthorized searches or systematically participated in the operations of an illicit syndicate, thereby determining whether other accomplices have yet to be exposed and ensuring the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the investigative direction.

The occurrence of police officers being suspected of leaking secrets and violating the Personal Data Protection Act not only highlights the weak legal awareness of frontline police officers when facing temptation, but also exposes loopholes in internal cybersecurity protection and internal management mechanisms within police agencies. In recent years, although the National Police Agency and various local police departments have continuously emphasized the importance of discipline and implemented strict permission controls and auditing systems for officers querying personal data, law enforcement personnel occasionally still take risks due to personal factors, using their official authority to look up citizens' personal data or leak investigative secrets. Cases of this nature often severely undermine public trust in police agencies and cast an undeserved negative stigma on all hardworking grassroots police officers.

As the Taipei District Prosecutors Office continues to actively investigate the case, subsequent legal proceedings and investigative results will receive high attention from all sectors of society. Whether it is the gambling case involving Officer Yeh of the Nangang Precinct or the leak and personal data violation case involving Detective Chen of the Xizhi Precinct, both serve as a renewed warning to relevant agencies that they must strengthen internal audits and legal education. Prosecutors and investigators will also uphold the principle of neither unjustly accusing the innocent nor sparing the guilty, continuing to clarify the legal responsibilities of all involved personnel to ensure judicial fairness and the integrity of the civil service system.