After Months Taiwan Nails Fugitive Online Gambling Billionaire

Since fleeing a ban on activities this summer, a fugitive Taiwanese online gambling billionaire was arrested.

Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) reported on Thursday's the arrest of a man known solely as Zhuang on suspicion of illegal gambling, money laundering and involvement in organized crime.

Taiwan news announced that Zhuang was none other than Chaung Chou-wen, chairman of the Xin Li Wang Intl Holding Group headquartered in Taichung, who was awarded honorary titles in Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia for his extensive investments in local development projects.

Chuang was allegedly gone underground in August after an alleged online gaming company in taichung city was raided by CIB. Those raids began in January after an initial attack on an affiliated gambling network.

Inspection of the various computers confiscated during those raids allegedly revealed Chuang's position as the gambling operation's beneficial controller. Chuang, who has extensive real estate properties in Taiwan and abroad, was thought to have left the country on his private jet during the August raids.

But the CIB has recently received a tip that Chuang was hidden in a stable Changhua City building. The CIB staked out the site and eventually arrested chuang and his driver, who may face allegations of supporting Chuang's arrest evasion attempts.

It is suspected that Chuang's gambling and money laundering activity managed RMB1b (US$151.3 million) from bettors in Taiwan and China. In addition to Chuang, another 19 people face a number of charges, while police have confiscated various Chuang-linked real estate properties and a dozen luxury cars.

This year the CIB was very involved in taking down online gaming activities, whether they be big or small. An indication of the above came last week with the arrest of 10 persons linked to a 'Gold Casino' scam platform that offered players a daily profit of NT$800 to more than NT$2000' (US$28-$70).

Taiwan has built a reputation in recent years as a platform for online gaming network services, including app creation, tech support, payment processing and customer relations management. Taiwanese and Chinese officials have often cooperated to block cross-border gaming networks, amid their frosty political connections.