Chauffeur arrested over kidnap and murder of Taiwan gambling kingpin

[webfact]

Chauffeur arrested over kidnap and murder of Taiwan gambling kingpin

TAIPEI, September 4, 2014 (AFP) - The chauffeur of a Taiwanese illegal gambling kingpin has been arrested in Thailand for his kidnap and murder, Taiwan police said Thursday.

In a case that has gripped Taiwan, wealthy businessman Shih Chia-chin -- who is believed to have accumulated a fortune worth tens of millions of US dollars through illegal gambling -- was kidnapped and stabbed to death in August after his driver picked him up from an airport in the north.

The chauffeur, Hsieh Yuan-hsin, was arrested in Chiang Rai in northern Thailand late Wednesday afternoon, officers at Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau said.

"The suspect is currently held in Bangkok and could be dispatched back to Taiwan soon after the Thai authorities complete their due legal procedure," an officer at the bureau told AFP.

Hsieh, 39, had picked up Shih from Taoyuan airport on August 18.

Three hours later, the accountant for Shih's company received a phone call from kidnappers demanding a ransom of Tw$50 million ($1.7 million).

Shih's family wired Tw$30 million to three designated bank accounts and alerted police, according to a statement at the time from police in the central city of Taichung.

Hsieh had tried to withdraw the ransom but fled after he was asked by a bank clerk to show his ID, the statement added.

Prosecutors issued a warrant barring Hsieh from leaving Taiwan but he managed to board a flight for Thailand with a fake passport on the day of the kidnap.

Almost a week later, Shih's body was found in a ditch in a remote area of the southern city of Tainan. He had been stabbed more than 20 times.

Taiwanese authorities released photos Thursday of Hsieh handcuffed and surrounded by Thai police officers.

Two other suspects have already been arrested in Taiwan for the kidnap and murder.

Taiwan police say Hsieh, who is reported to have worked for Shih for five years and was formerly a fruit wholesaler, had no previous criminal record.

Local media said Shih had kept a low profile since he survived a kidnap attempt four years ago.

He was sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison term after his Internet gambling ring was cracked nine years ago, reports said, adding that he had built up a fortune worth billions of Taiwan dollars.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2014-09-04

[dcutman]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

[Bluespunk]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

It's good news someone is murdered? Someone who had already been prosecuted and punished deserved to later be murdered? Grief.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Bluespunk

[dcutman]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

It's good news someone is murdered? Someone who had already been prosecuted and punished deserved to later be murdered? Grief.

"Punished" ? 18 month suspended sentence, Punished? Well, unlike you I have no sympathy for criminals that get killed by there ilk. I wish it would happen more often, specially if the perpetrator is arrested as well.

[Bluespunk]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

It's good news someone is murdered? Someone who had already been prosecuted and punished deserved to later be murdered? Grief.

"Punished" ? 18 month suspended sentence, Punished? Well, unlike you I have no sympathy for criminals that get killed by there ilk. I wish it would happen more often, specially if the perpetrator is arrested as well.

Then it's good you have no legal authority as well as moral. The law decided the punishment not vigilantes. 18 months was what he got, suspended yes, but that was the courts call not yours.

You are supporting this act of murder by saying it is deserved. Yet you call for punishment for the one who did as you wished. If someone then kills him will you praise the act and call for the same for his killer. Do you not see the inconsistency of this position? It makes no sense at all.

Mind vigilante justice supporters rarely do.

[FangFerang]

"Prosecutors issued a warrant barring Hsieh from leaving Taiwan but he managed to board a flight for Thailand with a fake passport on the day of the kidnap."

No wonder idiots that don't even have a high school diploma can teach here -- if murderers can land, so much for screening teachers. Many countries demand police background checks -- Thailand takes anybody who looks young and is a native speaker. Period. Even Vietnam wants to make sure teachers are clean...Thailand does not care. And pretty is more important than proficient -- by a wide margin.

And Thais have the highest education budget in SE Asia? Fill in the blanks -- it's quite enlightening. Schools have a few qualified teachers to ameliorate the MOE -- the rest are window dressing and make everything happen on the marketing side. The problem is these bozos then take themselves seriously.

A blunt and hilarious joke for all the wrong reasons.

[dcutman]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

It's good news someone is murdered? Someone who had already been prosecuted and punished deserved to later be murdered? Grief.

"Punished" ? 18 month suspended sentence, Punished? Well, unlike you I have no sympathy for criminals that get killed by there ilk. I wish it would happen more often, specially if the perpetrator is arrested as well.

Then it's good you have no legal authority as well as moral. The law decided the punishment not vigilantes. 18 months was what he got, suspended yes, but that was the courts call not yours.

You are supporting this act of murder by saying it is deserved. Yet you call for punishment for the one who did as you wished. If someone then kills him will you praise the act and call for the same for his killer. Do you not see the inconsistency of this position? It makes no sense at all.

Mind vigilante justice supporters rarely do.

How do you now this man acted as a vigilante? Sounds more like one criminal shaking down another criminal and things went wrong. Definently not going to loose sleep over either one of these two blokes. Good residence to both IMO.

Edited September 4, 2014 by dcutman

[Bluespunk]

"Punished" ? 18 month suspended sentence, Punished? Well, unlike you I have no sympathy for criminals that get killed by there ilk. I wish it would happen more often, specially if the perpetrator is arrested as well.

Then it's good you have no legal authority as well as moral. The law decided the punishment not vigilantes. 18 months was what he got, suspended yes, but that was the courts call not yours.

You are supporting this act of murder by saying it is deserved. Yet you call for punishment for the one who did as you wished. If someone then kills him will you praise the act and call for the same for his killer. Do you not see the inconsistency of this position? It makes no sense at all.

Mind vigilante justice supporters rarely do.

How do you now this man acted as a vigilante? Sounds more like one criminal shaking down another criminal and things went wrong. Definently not going to loose sleep over either one of these two blokes. Good residence to both IMO.

i'm not calling the killer a vigilante.

I'm saying your position that [despite already being caught, prosecuted and sentenced for his crimes],the murder victim deserved to die because he was a criminal, is that of a supporter of vigilante justice.

You don't accept the legal system's verdicts and wish death upon those who in your opinion get off lightly.

That's vigilantism.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Bluespunk

[tomyummer]

This is why I decided not to be rich and not to have a driver. Especially a former fruit vendor. You know how good they are slicing and dicing.

[SOTIRIOS]

.......doubtful that the chauffeur did it.....

...the rest of the charade seems like part of a distraction/smokescreen.....

...there is a real reason he was eliminated......more likely.....he was simply 'bumped off'.....

[halloween]

"Prosecutors issued a warrant barring Hsieh from leaving Taiwan but he managed to board a flight for Thailand with a fake passport on the day of the kidnap."

No wonder idiots that don't even have a high school diploma can teach here -- if murderers can land, so much for screening teachers. Many countries demand police background checks -- Thailand takes anybody who looks young and is a native speaker. Period. Even Vietnam wants to make sure teachers are clean...Thailand does not care. And pretty is more important than proficient -- by a wide margin.

And Thais have the highest education budget in SE Asia? Fill in the blanks -- it's quite enlightening. Schools have a few qualified teachers to ameliorate the MOE -- the rest are window dressing and make everything happen on the marketing side. The problem is these bozos then take themselves seriously.

A blunt and hilarious joke for all the wrong reasons.

Are you saying that between his arrival late on Wednesday afternoon and his arrest yesterday, he got a job as a teacher?

[Lite Beer]

Suspect in Taichung tycoon’s murder repatriated from Thailand after spending time in Samui

The suspect in the high-profile ransom and murder of a wealthy Taichung man was repatriated to Taiwan Friday night after being on the run in Thailand for 16 days.

Yuan hsinHsieh Yuan-hsin, who worked as a chauffeur for the man, appeared calm upon his arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, but did not speak to the press.

Hsieh was later sent to Taichung police bureau after his identity was confirmed.

Police want to know if Hsieh acted alone as he claims, and how he managed to kidnap and apparently murder his boss, Taichung tycoon Shih Chia-chin, and then flee the country all in the same day.

Hsieh fled to Thailand with a forged passport on Aug. 18. He landed in Bangkok and fled to Koh Samui and then Chiang Rai before heading northeastwards into Laos.

He was apprehended by Thai police Wednesday when he tried to re-enter Thailand Wednesday.

The victim was abducted on Aug. 18 when he was picked up by Hsieh at the airport upon returning to Taiwan from a trip to the United States.

Rather than driving his employer home however, Hsieh and two accomplices allegedly kidnapped Shih and demanded his family transfer NT$30 million (around US$1 million) to a designated bank account as ransom.

The transfer was made, but the worried family called the police when Shih was still not returned.

Hsieh attempted to collect the money at a bank but eventually gave up because he apparently thought he had been discovered.

The decomposing body of the 57-year-old Shih was found in the mountains in Tainan on Aug. 24. Police said he died of dozens of stab wounds.

Police found the body by tracking the movements of different vehicles used by the chauffeur and his alleged accomplices.

The other suspects believed to be involved in the businessman’s death were arrested Aug. 25 by police in the counties of Pingtung and Yunlin.

-- Samui Times 2014-09-06

[SOTIRIOS]

...do you mean 'extradited'.....

[kaorop]

"Prosecutors issued a warrant barring Hsieh from leaving Taiwan but he managed to board a flight for Thailand with a fake passport on the day of the kidnap."

No wonder idiots that don't even have a high school diploma can teach here -- if murderers can land, so much for screening teachers. Many countries demand police background checks -- Thailand takes anybody who looks young and is a native speaker. Period. Even Vietnam wants to make sure teachers are clean...Thailand does not care. And pretty is more important than proficient -- by a wide margin.

And Thais have the highest education budget in SE Asia? Fill in the blanks -- it's quite enlightening. Schools have a few qualified teachers to ameliorate the MOE -- the rest are window dressing and make everything happen on the marketing side. The problem is these bozos then take themselves seriously.

A blunt and hilarious joke for all the wrong reasons.

555555 time to put what ever you're imbibing in down and de-tox

[Benmart]

Good news all around then. Criminal gets murdered and suspects that committed the crime get arrested.

I've never considered murder, whoever the victim might be, as "good news".