As of Aug. 28, police have arrested over 100 human trafficking suspects and detained 39. Police say snakehead gangs are moving from Cambodia to Laos due to international pressure.
A woman surnamed Chien suspected of human trafficking is detained by Hualien police. Police believe Chien was responsible for a Wanrong Township man surnamed Ma traveling to Cambodia. Ma died in Cambodia on Aug. 1. Police say Chien is one of the leaders of a human trafficking ring.
Chu Mao-sheng, Chief Detective, Fenglin Precinct: “( Reporter: “What do you know about Ms. Chien's involvement? How many victims are there?”) Ms. Chien was high up in the ring. She probably had some kind of special ability or performed very well. We are still investigating.”
Police have so far cracked 50 snakehead gangs and arrested 138 suspects. Of the 138, 39 have been detained. The victim count currently stands at 306. Aviation police, meanwhile, have been tasked with dissuading travelers at the airport from traveling to high-risk countries.
Lee Yang-chi, Chief, International Criminal Affairs Division, CIB: “Numerous countries have begun putting pressure on Cambodia, so some fraud rings have moved to other regions like Myanmar's KK Park or Laos. We rescued five Taiwanese people at the Laotian border on Aug. 20.”
According to victims that have returned to Taiwan, many people working for fraud rings started out as victims themselves. Police are therefore investigating all returnees to Taiwan to determine if they've committed any crimes by comparing victim statements or confessions.
涉嫌販運國人前往柬埔寨的簡姓女子一入境，馬上被花蓮鳳林分局刑警逮捕，因為8月1日於柬埔寨死亡的花蓮萬榮鄉馬姓男子就是她仲介。警方掌握相關通聯記錄，認為她是重要幹部。
花蓮鳳林分局偵查隊長朱茂昇生指出：「(記者問：「目前有辦法掌握到簡女這條線？出去的受害人大概有多少？」)簡女她可以成為幹部層級，想必應該是有特殊的能力，或者是良好的績效。目前這塊（由簡女這條線出去的受害人數），我們還在陸續清查中。」
而像簡女一樣涉嫌參與人口販運案的人蛇集團已偵破50件，共138人涉案，其中39人已裁定羈押。目前受害民眾約306人，航警持續在機場勸阻國人前往這些高風險國家。
刑事局國際刑警科科長李泱輯表示：「各國開始對於柬埔寨施壓，所以有部分的詐騙集團開始往其他地區流竄。之前大家比較熟悉的是緬甸KK園區，有部分也開始往寮國移動，我們在8/20也在泰寮邊界拯救出5名被害的國人。」
而根據返國受害者表示，詐騙集團中不少幹部其實都是受害者變成加害者，所以警方也在調查這些回國民眾到底有無犯罪，但偵辦跨境詐騙有一定困難度，還須從被害者供詞中交叉比對。