Yew-Woei Chou
Auckland, November 3, 2024
Taiwan enjoys strong law enforcement capabilities and cooperates with friendly partners in criminal investigations. Being able to exchange information in real time is crucial to combating transnational crime. However, due to its exclusion from Interpol, Taiwan can only access critical intelligence indirectly. By the time that information is received, it is often outdated, creating a challenging situation that allows transnational crime to thrive and exacerbates the harm caused.
Espousing International Cooperation
According to Article 2 of the Constitution of the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), one of the organisation’s aims is to ensure and promote the widest possible mutual assistance between all criminal police authorities. In recent years, transnational crime has evolved, exacerbated by the rapid advancement of information and communications technology.
Criminal activities are increasingly of a cross-border, organised, and anonymous nature, with financial transactions taking place online. This puts all countries and people at risk. To combat transnational crime, nations must work together, engage in mutual assistance, and share information—notions fully commensurate with the Interpol Constitution.
Strengthening cross-border cooperation, enhancing law enforcement capabilities, and building capacity to safeguard justice have become key goals of the international community. In addressing new types of transnational crime, Interpol President Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi stated on September 7, 2024, during International Police Cooperation Day that “by openly sharing intelligence, strategies, and resources, we are better equipped to confront global threats like transnational crime, human trafficking, and terrorism.”
Although specific criminal cases may not impact the entire world, the analysis of crime trends can help identify investigation opportunities. Countries should learn from one another, cooperate, share intelligence, and work together to find solutions.
This year’s theme for international police cooperation is “police integrity, accountability, and oversight,” which are values crucial to law enforcement and global security. These values form the foundation of public trust; are essential to preventing crime, protecting the vulnerable, and upholding justice; and play a vital role in international police cooperation. Taiwan, strategically positioned and committed to strengthening international ties, is eager to share information and work with other countries to build a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for all.
Taiwan’s Public Safety
Taiwan operates its own policing and justice, financial and trading, aviation and maritime transport, and border control systems. Having garnered extensive experience in combating transnational crime such as telecommunication fraud, drug trafficking, cyberattacks, organised crime, and terrorism, Taiwan’s law enforcement authorities have demonstrated their commitment to promoting peace and helping vulnerable people.
Its well-trained officers have also made Taiwan a significant partner to the international community, which has highly recognised Taiwan’s crime-fighting achievements. Combating transnational crime is a critical mission of Taiwan. As global security is interconnected, cooperation between Taiwan and Interpol would help make the world a safer place.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan’s 2024 Business Climate Survey reported that a high degree of personal safety was the most attractive aspect of life and work in Taiwan to foreign business professionals. Indeed, this has been cited as the biggest attraction for eight consecutive years. Former Director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Sandra Oudkirk also said, “Taiwan is the safest place I have ever lived.”
According to the Numbeo safety index, Taiwan ranks as the fourth-safest country in the world, with a crime rate fourth-lowest among 146 countries, following only Andorra, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Moreover, in 2023, the Expat Insider annual survey published by InterNations ranked Taiwan the fifth most livable country—second for quality of life, eighth for safety, and first for quality of healthcare.
Incomplete International Security Network
With Taiwanese passports providing visa-free entry to more than 160 countries and areas around the world, there have been numerous cases of such passports being illegally traded by crime syndicates in other countries. Criminal elements in a number of countries have fraudulently used Taiwanese passports to engage in illegal activities, thereby threatening international security and seriously disrupting the global order.
However, currently, Taiwan can neither obtain the latest information on crimes nor share intelligence on suspects of major crimes such as fraud and drug trafficking in a timely fashion. Likewise, Taiwan is unable to provide other countries with crucial information regarding emerging criminal methods, its experiences in investigating related crimes, and details on forged passports. Taiwan’s absence hampers efforts to prevent and stop criminal activities at their source.
Joint Law Enforcement Efforts
In 2017, for example, after Australian national Lisa Lines allegedly convinced a lover to attack her ex-husband with an axe, seriously injuring and paralysing him, she fled to Taiwan to hide and work. In September 2022, Interpol issued a red notice for Lines and a yellow notice for her young children. However, Taiwan was not notified and remained unaware of the case until October 2023, when Australia contacted Taiwan to request assistance with the matter.
Subsequently, Taiwan conducted an investigation and alerted both Australia and Palau, leading to the arrest of Lines when she travelled to Palau with her children. She was then extradited to Australia to face trial, and her children were escorted back to Australia.
In 2024, the Interpol Stop Internet Piracy (I-SOP) initiative sought to address copyright violations and piracy crimes, issuing a report entitled Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Awareness for Potential Digital Piracy Services. The report highlighted a Taiwanese police investigation into the illegal broadcasting of Olympic events through the Unblock Tech TV box (also known as the Anbo box).
Interpol later asked Taiwan to share its related experiences and suggest potential measures for combating set-top boxes and other digital piracy services in the future to better protect intellectual property rights.
Taiwan’s participation
On June 27, 2024, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute published an article by Dr John Coyne titled “Taiwan’s exclusion from Interpol is the world’s loss.”
The article highlighted Taiwan’s strong law enforcement capabilities and important role in combating transnational crime, particularly human trafficking.
Despite widespread international support, Taiwan remains unable to access Interpol’s intelligence databases and cooperation systems, limiting the effectiveness of cross-border crime investigations. Granting Taiwan observer status in Interpol would further strengthen global security, uphold justice, and minimise the negative effects of political factors on efforts to fight crime worldwide.
We urge all countries to support Taiwan’s participation as an observer at Interpol’s annual assembly, enabling Taiwan’s law enforcement agencies to engage with those of member states, attend training sessions, and share expertise. Taiwan remains committed to promoting security, reducing harm to people and property, and working tirelessly with the international community to combat transnational crime.
The above article was sent to Indian Newslink by the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Auckland.
