The Taipei District Prosecutors Office, investigating the Crown Prince Group case, carried out the seventh wave of search operations on the 8th, summoning and detaining 11 individuals including a man surnamed Lu, who is suspected of establishing and operating offshore shell companies for the Crown Prince Group. Three suspects were transferred for further questioning. After overnight interrogation by prosecutors, in the early hours of today, Mr. Lu was released on bail of NT$800,000.
According to a Central News Agency report, the Crown Prince Group, led by Chen Zhi, allegedly engaged in fraudulent crimes in Cambodia and established a vast business network in multiple countries for money laundering. On October 8 last year, U.S. federal prosecutors indicted Chen Zhi and others. On October 15 last year, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office proactively began an investigation into the Crown Prince Group's money laundering case, launching six waves of search operations, with 9 individuals detained and held incommunicado by court order.
According to investigations, an international business company operated by Mr. Lu allegedly set up and ran offshore shell companies for the Crown Prince Group since 2021, using them to open Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) accounts in Taiwan for money laundering. Yesterday, the seventh wave of searches and interviews was conducted.
On the 8th, prosecutors directed the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the National Police Agency, the Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, and other units to conduct 12 simultaneous searches at the residences of Mr. Lu and others, as well as the international business company, detaining and summoning Lu, another Crown Prince Group member surnamed Lai, a woman surnamed Zhan, and 8 others, making 11 in total. Ms. Zhan had previously been summoned and was released on bail of NT$800,000 by prosecutors.
On the evening of the 8th, Lu, Lai, and Zhan were first transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office. After overnight interrogations, in the early morning of the 9th, the prosecutor ordered Lu released on NT$800,000 bail, Lai released on NT$500,000 bail with travel restrictions, and Zhan required to increase her bail by NT$500,000.
It is understood that the remaining eight individuals are expected to be transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on the afternoon of the 9th. Prosecutors are following up, noting that these eight are mainly responsible persons, managers, and accountants from two gaming design companies, both of which are no longer operational.