Prosecutors in Yunlin County have indicted 20 individuals over an alleged cross-border gambling and money laundering operation involving more than NT$33bn in suspicious transactions, according to reporting by The Liberty Times.
The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office said it worked with the Criminal Investigation Bureau and police across multiple counties to dismantle the group, which was allegedly linked to the well-known “Jiuzhou Entertainment City” online gambling platform. A 30-year-old man surnamed Liao was identified as the alleged ringleader.
Investigators said the group used a tactic known as “credit card overpayment” to channel illicit gambling proceeds. Funds were first transferred into the overpayment accounts of recruited “card runners,” effectively increasing their available credit limits. These individuals then traveled to Macau, where they used the high-limit credit cards to purchase casino chips.
Authorities allege the card runners either placed minimal bets or did not gamble at all, instead quickly redeeming the chips for Hong Kong dollars or handing them over to local associates of the syndicate. Prosecutors said the scheme exploited the large cash reserves of casinos and comparatively limited scrutiny of customer fund sources to facilitate the laundering process.
The investigation found that from 2023 until the group was uncovered, total suspicious fund flows across related accounts exceeded NT$33bn. Authorities have seized more than NT$250m from implicated accounts, along with over NT$2m in cash, money counting machines, and dozens of credit cards.
Police warned the public not to accept unexplained funds in exchange for small profits or reward points, noting that individuals could become accomplices to money laundering and face criminal liability and substantial fines. Authorities said they will continue strengthening technological investigations and international cooperation to curb illicit financial flows and protect public safety.
Taiwan has amended its Money Laundering Control Act multiple times in recent years to close regulatory gaps and strengthen oversight of emerging laundering methods
