TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A total of 10 persons are now under investigation after news broke on Monday (July 22) that National Security Bureau (NSB) agents tried to smuggle 9,800 cartons of cigarettes into Taiwan using President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) flight back from a Caribbean trip as a cover.

The New Taipei City Investigation Bureau officers have questioned 10 people over the incident, including an NSB agent surnamed Wu (吳), and transferred them to the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office for further investigation, reported CNA. Wu and another prime suspect surnamed Chang (張) are being held in custody while eight other suspects were released on bail.

The Prosecutor's Office said that the two suspects being detained are being charged with violating the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) for shipping prohibited items by public transport and evading taxes. For these crimes, the accused face penalties of life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment of more than 10 years, and fine of up to NT$100 million, according to the report.

According to prosecutors, Wu's and Chang's statements conflict with each other, and whether they are accomplices remains to be clarified. With Wu and Chang being investigated for serious crimes involving corruption, and due to the risk of colluding with accomplices or witnesses, prosecutors asked that the two be kept in custody.

The whole case started when the NSB was informed that a large number of cigarettes would be smuggled into the country by NSB personnel. They were told that rogue NSB agents were planning on taking advantage of the president's trip to smuggle contraband past customs agents.



Suspect being taken in for questioning. (CNA photo)

At 1:25 p.m. on Sunday, Customs officers intercepted five vehicles pretending to be part of the presidential motorcade as they tried to leave the airport through a special passage. Officers took the vehicles directly to a Taipei Customs Office warehouse.

According to the Customs Administration, officers found 9,200 cartons of cigarettes had been smuggled by NSB personnel inside the vehicles, with a market value over NT$6.45 million (US$207,000). Customs officials said that an additional 600 cigarettes were found hidden in luggage inside the presidential jet, bringing the total of smuggled cigarettes to 9,800 cartons, reported Liberty Times.

The scandal broke when opposition New Power Party lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) wrote on his Facebook page that an NSB agent had tried to smuggle 9,200 cartons of cigarettes past customs as President Tsai was arriving back into the country from a four-nation trip to the Caribbean Monday morning.

Customs confirmed his story and said the tobacco products had all been seized and moved to a warehouse. The main suspect, Wu, had reportedly used an official at China Air Lines (CAL) to buy the cigarettes duty-free at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and store them at an airline catering company property awaiting Tsai’s return.

Later media reports suggested that this had been Wu’s third similar operation using the president’s overseas voyages. President Tsai was reported to be furious about the incident and asked for a judicial investigation of the case.

On Monday, NSB Director General Peng Sheng-chu (彭勝竹) officially resigned from his post after news of the smuggling scandal broke. The officer in charge of presidential bodyguards, Chang Chieh (張捷), had reportedly asked to be disciplined and was awaiting a decision on his transfer to another function. </s> TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An employee of the National Security Bureau (NSB) tried to smuggle NT$6.45 million (US$207,000) worth of cigarettes into Taiwan on board of President Tsai Ing-wen’s flight back from a Caribbean trip.

Tsai arrived back in the country Monday (July 22) after a tour of its four allies Haiti, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia with stopovers in New York City and Denver, Colorado.

The NSB staff member went through a senior official at China Air Lines (CAL) to buy 9,200 tax-free cigarettes and bring them into Taiwan on the presidential plane, New Power Party lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) wrote on his Facebook page.

However, customs officials found the tobacco products Saturday morning and impounded the whole batch, the United Daily News reported. The cigarettes had been moved to the main customs warehouse in Taipei.

In order to prevent smugglers using diplomatic privilege to bring banned products into Taiwan, customs would sit down with representatives of the Presidential Office and of security agencies to discuss more efficient measures, the report said.

The NSB said it could not comment on the case as the incident was already being handled by the judiciary.

Huang demanded disciplinary action both against the NSB employee and against the CAL official, according to the Liberty Times. </s> By Ann Maxon / Staff reporter

New Power Party Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday called for the resignation of China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空) chairman Hsieh Shih-chien (謝世謙) after the company denied being complicit in an alleged smuggling case involving a National Security Bureau (NSB) agent.

Huang on Monday said that the official, Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲), attempted to smuggle 9,200 cartons of cigarettes worth more than US$200,000 when he returned to Taiwan with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) from a state visit to the Caribbean earlier in the day.

Wu, who accompanied Tsai on her trip, allegedly pre-ordered the cigarettes using China Airlines’ online duty-free store with help from the airline, Huang said.

It was written on the order that the cigarettes were to be picked up on the return of the president’s airplane, but they were never delivered to the plane, he added.

Instead, the cigarettes were kept in the airline’s storage facility until they were transported to five trucks that later joined Tsai’s motorcade leaving the airport, he said.

While China Airlines on Monday insisted that it had followed procedures in handling the purchase, Huang said that the company was “full of lies” and avoided taking responsibility.

It sold Wu 9,200 cartons of cigarettes, despite custom laws stipulating that only certified tobacco sellers can import more than five cartons of cigarettes, he said.

The airline also left no records that the cigarettes were being kept in its storage facility, he said, adding that the cigarettes had not been logged into the facility’s inventory and that no records indicated that the cartons had been moved to the plane or returned to the facility.

Huang said that shortly before the news conference yesterday, a China Airlines representative had told him that the chairman knew nothing about the matter and was unable to provide any information about the case.

“If that is the attitude of the chairman, I would say please resign,” he said.

Huang added that National Security Council Secretary-General David Lee (李大維) still owes the public an explanation.

“Please tell us if anyone in the council is involved in the case. How can the secretary-general of the National Security Council be hiding this whole time?” he asked.

Two other people on the flight ordered duty-free goods that were not sent to the plane for pickup, Huang said.

The legislator added that he could not reveal further details as they were part of an ongoing investigation. </s> A crew member from a Brazilian military plane used to arrange travel for the president was arrested in Spain with a bagful of cocaine in his luggage. The Brazilian leader said the man was not from “his team.”

The Air Force service member was arrested by Spain’s Civil Guard on Tuesday at Seville airport, where the plane stopped before flying to Osaka for the upcoming G20 summit. According to El Pais, the illegal cargo was found inside a bag of Sergeant Manoel Silva Rodrigues, during a mandatory check. Spanish customs authorities discovered 37 packages of cocaine each weighing over a kilo, or about 39kg in total, which the Brazilian reportedly didn’t even bother to properly hide before trying to enter the country.

The failed smuggler was arrested while the rest of the crew left for Japan the same afternoon. The aircraft will be used as a backup plane for President Jair Bolsonaro after the end of the G20 summit.

Spanish law enforcement is now trying to establish the intended destination of the narcotics. The Brazilian Defense Ministry pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

The Brazilian president denounced the arrested person. “Although not related to my team, yesterday’s episode in Spain is unacceptable,” he tweeted, adding that an attempt to use government transport for drug trafficking was “disrespect to our country.”

The plane with Bolsonaro on board, which was scheduled to land in Seville before flying to Japan, slightly changed its course after the incident. Lisbon was used for a stopover instead, with the president’s office offering no explanation for the change.

The scandal may be particularly embarrassing for the president, whose administration enacted tougher policies on drug-related crimes earlier this month, which were passed by the parliament in May. The new rules raise the minimum penalty for traffickers and require users to undergo rehabilitation regardless of their wishes as long as a family member agrees to it. Bolsonaro, who was elected on a law-and-order platform, is an avowed critic of drug liberalization.

If you like this story, share it with a friend! </s> A crew member from. The Brazilian leader said the man was not from "his team."The Air Force service member was arrested by Spain's Civil Guard on Tuesday at Seville airport, According to El Pais, the illegal cargo was found inside a bag of Sergeant Manoel Silva Rodrigues, during a mandatory check. Spanish customs authorities discovered 37 packages of cocaine each weighing over a kilo, or about 39kg in total, which the Brazilian reportedlyThe failed smuggler was arrested while the rest of the crew left for Japan the same afternoon. The aircraft will be used as a backup plane for President Jair Bolsonaro after the end of the G20 summit.Spanish law enforcement is now trying to establish the intended destination of the narcotics. The Brazilian Defense Ministry pledged to cooperate with the investigation.The Brazilian president denounced the arrested person. "Although not related to my team, yesterday's episode in Spain is unacceptable," he tweeted, adding that an attempt to use government transport for drug trafficking was "disrespect to our country."The plane with Bolsonaro on board, which was scheduled to land in Seville before flying to Japan, slightly, with the president's office offering no explanation for the change.The scandal may be particularly embarrassing for the president, whose administration enacted tougher policies on drug-related crimes earlier this month, which were passed by the parliament in May. The new rules raise the minimum penalty for traffickers and require users to undergo rehabilitation regardless of their wishes as long as a family member agrees to it. Bolsonaro, who was elected on a law-and-order platform, is an avowed critic of drug liberalization. </s> An Air Force sergeant arrested by Spanish police over allegedly trying to smuggle three bags full of cocaine into Spain was part of the Jair Bolsonaro's G20 plane entourage, Brazilian officials have confirmed.

A Spanish police source told Reuters the sergeant was arrested after officers discovered 39 kilograms of cocaine in three pieces of luggage, which police checked on Tuesday while the plane was waiting to continue its journey to Japan for the G20 Summit.

Brazil's Air Force said the sergeant worked as cabin crew on a support aircraft and was not on Mr Bolsonaro's presidential plane.

Vice-President Hamilton Mourao confirmed the sergeant was supporting Mr Bolsonaro's trip to Japan for this week's G20 meeting and had been assigned to remain in Spain before embarking on the president's plane for the final leg of his return trip.

"Obviously, given the quantity of the drug he was carrying, he didn't buy it on the corner and bring it, right? He was working as a mule. A well-qualified mule, so to speak," said Mr Mourao.

On Twitter, Mr Bolsonaro said he had been informed of the arrest by the Defence Minister and ordered "immediate cooperation with Spanish police."

The Brazilian Government says it is cooperating with Spanish investigators and has opened its own probe.

The head of Brazil's security cabinet, general Augusto Heleno, said it was "bad luck" that the incident occurred at such an inopportune moment. </s> A BRAZILIAN soldier has been arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine aboard the military convoy of president Jair Bolsonaro.

The airforce sergeant was found carrying 39 kilogrammes of the Class A drug at Sevilla airport yesterday.

The narcotics were found hidden inside an Embraer 190 aircraft being used by the Brazilian Air Force to transport military personnel who were accompanying Bolsonaro on his trip to Japan.

The plane, which the Brazilian president would use as a backup, made a stop in Sevilla from Brasilia.

Investigators believe the final destination of the cocaine was Spain and that the sergeant – and probably other soldiers from the same unit – were bribed to accept the batch on the official plane.

Bolsonaro and his closest advisers travelled to Osaka on an Airbus 319 and had stopped over in Lisbon.

The controversial leader, who famously labelled himself a proud homophobe, said on Twitter that he would work in full collaboration with Spanish police.

The sergeant suspect is being held by the Guardia Civil in the Andalucian capital and will be brought before a judge on Thursday.

He did not have diplomatic immunity.

The embarrassing event comes after Bolsonaro has vowed to crack down on drugs in Brazil.

He promised to ramp up the military’s role in the drug war by giving security forces more power to shoot and kill armed criminals and is making it easier for everyday citizens to buy guns. </s> BEIJING (AP) — China said Friday that the U.S. should not allow an ongoing visit by Taiwan’s president to New York and that it would impose sanctions on American companies that sell arms to the self-governing island as part of an expected $2.2 billion deal.

President Tsai Ing-wen is in New York on a two-night “transit” stop en route to an official visit to four Caribbean nations. She was scheduled to deliver a speech to a U.S.-Taiwan business summit and attend a dinner with members of the Taiwanese-American community.

“We urge the U.S. to abide by the ‘one China’ principle and … not allow Tsai Ing-wen’s stopover, cease official exchanges with Taiwan and refrain from providing any platform for separatist Taiwan independence forces,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing.

In a separate statement on the foreign ministry’s website, Geng announced sanctions on companies involved in the arms deal, which he said “undermines China’s sovereignty and national security.” The four-sentence statement did not provide any details about the sanctions.

The Trump administration said Tuesday that it is proposing a $2.2 billion sale that would include 108 Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. The tanks represent a significant upgrade to Taiwan’s aging fleet.

Taiwan split from China during a civil war in 1949, and Tsai has resisted Chinese pressure for reunification under the “one country, two systems” framework that governs Hong Kong.

The United States recognizes Beijing as the government of China, but provides military and other support to Taiwan. China objects to such support as an interference in what it considers its internal affairs.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on a visit to Hungary, said his country has grave concern about Tsai’s U.S. visits. She is scheduled to make another two-night stop on her way home.

She is visiting Haiti, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia on a 12-day trip. The island nations are among the few countries that recognize Taiwan instead of China.

Before departing, Tsai said Thursday that she wants to share the values of democracy and perseverance with Taiwan’s friends.

“Our democracy has not come easily and now is facing the threat and technological penetration of foreign forces,” she said, in a veiled reference to China.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> A Brazilian Air Force officer travelling on the entourage of the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, to Japan, has been arrested in Spain after he was caught with 39 kilogrammes of cocaine.

Mr Bolsonaro and his entourage were going to Japan for a two-day G20 summit starting on Friday in Osaka.

According to CNN, the officer identified as Sergeant Silva Rodrigues was arrested on Tuesday in Seville, Spain, when the backup plane travelling to Osaka made a stop-over.

“The Defense Ministry informs that, on Tuesday, June 25th, an Air Force officer suspected of transporting narcotic substances was detained in the Seville airport in Spain.

“We are investigating the facts and are launching a military police inquiry.”

President Bolsonaro, who was travelling on a separate plane at the time of Mr Rodrigues’ arrest, through his Twitter handle @jairbolsonaro said he had instructed the Defense Ministry to cooperate with the Spanish authorities.

He said if the officer is found guilty, he would “be judged and convicted by law.”

Also in a statement on Wednesday, the country’s Vice-President, Hamilton Mourao, described the officer as a qualified drug mule.

“It’s obvious that, given the amount of drugs he had on him, that he didn’t just buy them around the corner and take them with him,” Mr Mourao told reporters on camera in Brasilia.

“He was working as a qualified drug mule, let’s put it that way,” he said.

Following his career records as reported by Brazilian media, Mr Rodrigues had accompanied three Brazilian presidents during 29 journeys in the past. At the time of filing this report, he was still with the Spanish authorities.
Taiwan Customs officers discover 9800 cartons of cigarettes worth more than 200,000 USD smuggled in five trucks of presidential motorade when President Tsai Ing-wen has returned from an official trip to the Caribbean and leaves the airport via a VIP lane. A security agent of National Security Bureau within Tsai's entourage allegedly pre-ordered the cigarettes duty-free from China Airlines and stored them at a warehouse of the airline's catering company at Taoyuan International Airport. National Security Bureau Director-General Peng Sheng-chu resigns over the scandal on the following day.