11 arrested in Taipei for debt collection, betting operations

In collaboration with police from different regions, the CIB nabbed the ring led by a suspect surnamed Yu, seizing machetes, hammers, wooden sticks, instant glue, among other items, which were used to assault debtors who failed to return loan fees accompanied by an outrageous interest rate.

The Taipei-County-based gang was found to have published advertisements in newspapers to attract victims to borrow money from the illegal group after the CIB started investigation into the case in April.

The group required every debtor to hand in photocopies of their identification cards and household certifications, which allowed the violent debt collectors to keep track of the victims and their family, said the CIB. An illegal sports-betting service was also run by the group, in which people could put bets on different professional baseball teams, from local to Japanese and American squads, before they were burdened with huge debt in a short span.

The victims then had to rely on the ring's usury provision to pay off their debts. The CIB estimated dozens of people have fallen victim to the gang's trap. After preliminary interrogation, the suspects have been handed over to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.

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