Taiwanese fugitive Jiang Zhang Xiadong alias Liu Ming Chung
Elusive Taiwan gang leader captured in Makati
A SUSPECTED leader of a Taiwan-based crime group was arrested by government agents under the supervision of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission during an operation in Makati City on Thursday evening.
Jiang Zhang Xiadong alias Liu Ming Chung was arrested at Ayala One Makati at around 9 p.m. by members of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Makati City Police Station and the Armed Forces of the Philippines during a PAOCC-supervised operation, the Journal Group learned.
PNP-CIDG director, Brigadier General Nicolas D. Torre III said that Xiadong is believed to be a leader of a Taiwan-based criminal organization who escaped arrest when CIDG agents raided his condominium unit in Edades Tower, Rockwell Center in Makati City on March 20, 2023.
That raid led to the seizure of a cache of unlicensed firearms including 13 caliber 5.56 M-16 automatic rifles, 12 cal. .38 revolvers, 52 assorted pistols and six sub-machine guns as well as dozens of assorted ammunition and magazines worth millions of pesos.
Xiadong was also linked to numerous scams including telecom fraud and illegal drugs using Makati City condominiums as a ‘base’ for their illegal operations.
PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert DC Cruz tagged the suspect as a ‘serious security threat’ in the country who has been under surveillance for months already.
The accused escaped arrest during the March 20, 2023 raid in Makati City which was a follow-up operation conducted by the PNP-CIDG after its men arrested three suspected accomplices of Xiadong identified as Cheng Chien-Ning alias ‘Chang Yung-Han,’ Wu Jheng Long alias ‘Wu Chang’ and Yang Zong Bao.’
The three were deported to Taiwan following their arrest. A 4th suspect who turned out to be a minor was also apprehended during the operation. He turned out to be a nephew of Cheng Chien-Ning.
Cheng Chien-Ning was tagged as the “Big Boss” of the purported organized group who is wanted in Taiwan for kidnapping. The suspect was reported to have fled to Manila in 2006 after being given a 9-year jail term in Taiwan.
Jheng Long, described as the ‘right-hand man’ of Cheng Chien-Ning was also found to be wanted for a drug case in Taiwan.
On the other hand, Yang Zong Bao turned out to be wanted in Taiwan for involvement in clandestine drug manufacturing activities. The suspect was described as a ‘shabu cook’ or chemist.
