Taiwan gang boss barred

KUALA LUMPUR: A Taiwanese gang leader is one of two men arrested by police while trying to enter Malaysia.

The two were believed to have fled Taiwan after sparking a clash with a rival gang there which led to shootouts.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the two men were arrested nine days ago when they entered the country via a flight from Taiwan.

“Both suspects are wanted by our counterparts in Taiwan for suspected involvement in a shooting case there.

“The two are also believed to be members of a secret society, and part of a scam syndicate there,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He said the two men were arrested after a warrant was issued by Taiwanese authorities, while their passports had been cancelled.

“Both suspects were arrested under the Immigration Act as soon as they arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

“The duo was handed over to Taiwanese police at the same airport at around 2.45pm Friday to be taken back to their home country,” he said, adding that the arrest is the result of the police’s close collaboration with Taiwanese authorities.

“We will continue to identify the Malaysian criminal network linked to the two suspects.

“We are committed to maintaining peace and public order and will take appropriate measures to ensure that Malaysia is not used as a transit or destination country for any party that violates the law,” he said.

Taiwanese media reported that a leader of the Hongren faction of the Bamboo Union, surnamed Lin, fled to Malaysia after a shooting in New Taipei’s Tucheng made headlines on April 20.

Police there identified Lin as a primary suspect in organising the shooting.

After officers there discovered Lin had fled to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian police was immediately alerted.

Members from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau arrived in KL on Thursday evening to arrange for Lin’s return, just as police back home conducted raids targeting other Hongren gang members.

Lin, along with an associate surnamed Tu, were both extradited to Taiwan on Friday, and arrived at the Taoyuan Inter-national Airport just after 7.30pm.