Up to sixtyTaiwanese soldiers stationed on the border island of Matsu have allegedly been found involved in colluding with a fraud syndicate by renting out their accounts for money launderingfor over two years, undetected by superiors.
Prosecutors found personal banking accounts, passwords, and e-commerce accounts linked to illegal fraud syndicates that implicated the soldiers in laundering and tax evasion.
Army Inspector General Major General Cai Zeming stated at a press conference that the case is under investigation with full military cooperation and that the Ministry of Defense has identified the suspects, who it intends to "severely punish and dismiss."
The island's command was instructed to ensure that both regional defense tasks and personnel rights are maintained to prevent any lapse in combat readiness.
An officer from the Ministry of National Defense noted that it planned to increase soldiers' financial knowledge, support emergency loans, improve fraud identification methods, and promote legal education to prevent similar future incidents.
Kuomintang legislator Ma Wenjun questioned why the soldiers were unaware that lending their accounts would make them accomplices in fraud and highlighted that taking such risks for just a few thousand dollars per month might reflect economic pressures or loan disputes within the unit.
