Taipei [Taiwan] June 26 : A former member of the coast guard was charged on Wednesday for allegedly gathering and transferring sensitive military data to China in exchange for financial compensation for two years, before his resignation in 2024, as reported by the Kaohsiung prosecutors according to Central News Agency (CNA).
The individual, known by the surname Lee, was serving at the Southern Sector Flotilla in Kaohsiung when he was reportedly approached by Chinese intelligence in September 2022, stated the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office's Kaohsiung Branch in a release, as noted by CNA.
Lee collected and provided information regarding Coast Guard vessels operating in the waters between Taiwan and the Philippines, graphics depicting warning zones designated for missile launches, as well as other military intelligence, according to the office. In exchange, Lee was reportedly compensated with NT$60,000 (approximately US$2,041.34) every three months, along with year-end bonuses, as stated by the prosecutors, who began investigating the matter after receiving a tip from military police.
The prosecutors executed searches at four different locations on September 10 and September 15 of last year, ultimately questioning and detaining Lee, as reported by the office. The charges against Lee involve the unauthorised transfer of confidential government documents and electronic records to foreign entities, specifically the Chinese mainland, along with violations of the National Security Act, according to the office.
In a separate case, the Taiwan High Court in Taipei sentenced a former Navy 1st class petty officer, whose surname was also mentioned, to two years and two months in prison on Wednesday for being found guilty of providing confidential military electronic records to someone online. Chen was introduced to a Mr. Chang, who claimed to be a sales manager offering low-interest loans, through an online chat group via the Line app in 2022, as mentioned in a press statement by the high court, according to CNA.
The court determined that Chen violated Article 20 of the Armed Forces Criminal Code by making photocopies of confidential military documents, which he subsequently photographed and sent to Chang in February 2023. The judges imposed a sentence shorter than the minimum three years required for the offence, considering Chen's confession and his return of NT$80,000 that he received from Chang, as reported by the high court according to CNA.