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The chief of a Taiwanese prison gang that trafficked 88 victims into compelled labor in Cambodia has been sentenced to 18 years in jail, in accordance with the Taipei District Court docket.
In a ruling issued on Thursday, the courtroom stated it had sentenced Lee Chen-hao 18 years imprisonment and eight of his accomplices to jail phrases starting from 11 to 16.5 years, whereas additionally confiscating over NT$3.6 million ($118,000) in illicit good points.
In keeping with the decision, members of the ring started posting adverts on Fb in November 2021 providing high-paying, Cambodia-based jobs in customer support for gaming and playing web sites.
After the victims arrived in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and different places, members of native prison organizations took their passports and compelled them to work in telecom rip-off networks, or pay giant ransoms to return to Taiwan.
Those that refused to work or didn’t meet their efficiency targets can be crushed, locked in solitary confinement, and even offered to different prison gangs, the decision stated.
In keeping with prosecutors, Lee and his accomplices in the end trafficked 88 Taiwanese folks to Cambodia, receiving between $17,000 and $18,000 for every sufferer from Cambodian prison organizations.
Taiwanese authorities rescued 22 of the victims final 12 months and one other 30 since then, and primarily based on their testimony, prosecutors filed indictments towards Lee and his eight co-conspirators in September 2022 and January 2023.
Throughout the trial, 4 of the defendants, together with Lee, denied any wrongdoing, whereas the opposite 5 admitted to a few of the allegations towards them.
The courtroom stated it had discovered all 9 defendants responsible of human trafficking, directing or collaborating in organized crime, and profiting by fraudulently inflicting one other particular person to depart the Republic of China.
Their sentences, nevertheless, different primarily based on the extent of their involvement within the crimes and hurt prompted to the victims, in addition to the diploma to which they cooperated with investigators after their arrests, the courtroom stated.
The decision could be appealed. Focus Taiwan
- Tags: human trafficking, job rip-off
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