Taiwanese man to be prosecuted for stealing money from lost wallet
台灣男子因從遺失的錢包中偷錢而被起訴
| Surveillance footage helped to track down Lin, who allegedly tossed wallet in mailbox after pilfering it
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A man in central Taiwan was referred for further investigation and prosecution after he took possession of a wallet containing cash and identity documents that he picked up on a street. A Taiwanese-Japanese woman recently went from Yilan County to visit her relatives in Puli Township, Nantou County, where she lost her wallet and then reported it to the Puli Police Station. The wallet contained cash of NT$4,800 (US$166), a National Health Insurance card, credit cards, and a residence permit. Upon receiving the report, officers set out to review surveillance camera footage along the route the woman took the day of the event, CNA reported. Puli Precinct said on Tuesday (Jan. 19) that after combing through numerous video clips, officers were able to find footage from the surveillance camera of a private residence showing a man on a bicycle who stopped suspiciously to pick up a purse before taking off. However, as his face was blur, officers continued to pursue footage from further along the streets he was likely to have traveled. By reviewing more cameras, the officers were able to come across clear footage of the man’s features. Police identified the suspect as a man surnamed Lin (林), who later confessed that he picked up the wallet, took out the NT$4,800, and threw the wallet along with personal identity documents into a mailbox on the street, per CNA. The police said that Lin was likely to have breached the country’s criminal code, which stipulates that it’s illegal to take lost property. He was referred to the Nantou District Prosecutors Office for further investigation and prosecution. Police were able to retrieve the woman’s identity documents and credit cards from the mailbox. Upon receipt of the items, she expressed her gratitude, saying that she was “deeply moved by the empathy and enthusiasm the officers had exhibited in handling a small case like this.” In related news, a man surnamed Hsu (徐) was referred for prosecution after he took possession of more than NT$100,000 in cash he picked up from a street in Pingtung City on Jan. 11, according to CNA. The cash, which belonged to a man surnamed Wu (吳), was part of an NT$900,000 wad of bills blown away by a gust of wind as Wu got out of his car. Many passersby helped to pick up the cash, and Hsu was one of them. However, unlike the other passersby, Hsu took off on his scooter with the money, per CNA. |
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| George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2021-01-19 |
