Police in New Taipei said Wednesday they had arrested eight people over the illegal imprisonment and torture of 26 people freed during a raid in the city’s Tamsui District.
In a statement, the Tamsui Precinct said armed police had raided the suspects’ hide-out following a tip-off from a man claiming to be the father of one of those held captive on Tuesday.
Police officers found 26 men and women aged between 23 and 58 confined to a 16.5 square-meter apartment room, police said, adding that all of the captives were handcuffed and shackled, and had suffered scratches, bruises, and cigarette burns over their bodies.
According to the police statement, those arrested had lured the captive individuals to the apartment on the pretense of interviewing for jobs with monthly salaries ranging from NT$50,000 (US$1,553) to NT$200,000.
During the fake job interviews, the suspects demanded job seekers hand over their bank passbooks and identification documents, as well as apply for an online bank account for use in money laundering.
The captives were only given one meal a day and would be beaten by their captors using bats and stun rods if they refused to take orders, police said.
Eight people, including the case’s prime suspect, were detained following the raid, police said, and they also seized baseball bats, handcuffs, shackles, drugs, bank cards, and bank passbooks during the raid.
Police handed the case over to the Shilin District Prosecutors Office to investigate the suspects on suspicion of fraud, money laundering, hindering personal freedom, drug use, and enslavement.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel