Gangland warfare erupts in New Taipei City with shooting and explosion
Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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- Two separate violent incidents, a shooting and a grenade-like explosion, occurred at businesses linked to rival factions of the Bamboo Union triad in New Taipei City.
- Police believe the attacks are part of a retaliatory cycle, possibly stemming from a dispute over drug transactions.
- Both suspects surrendered to police shortly after the incidents, raising suspicions of guidance from higher-ups within the triad.
New Taipei City is grappling with a surge in gang violence as rival factions of the Bamboo Union triad engaged in tit-for-tat attacks, disregarding public order. The incidents, which included a shooting at a company identified as a base for the Mingren branch of the gang and an explosion at another business linked to the Hongren branch, have shaken the local community.
On March 17, a 23-year-old man allegedly fired six shots at the entrance of Xiaren Trading Company, a known base for the Mingren faction in Sanxia District. The suspect, Jiang Ming-xi, surrendered to police shortly after the attack. He claimed the shooting was retaliation for being attacked with a knife days earlier at a motel, stemming from a financial dispute with a Mingren member. Prosecutors have requested his detention.
He claimed the shooting was retaliation for being attacked with a knife days earlier at a motel, stemming from a financial dispute with a Mingren member.
Just a day later, on March 18, a 21-year-old man, Shi Jia-jun, threw an explosive device at the entrance of Juyong Land Development Company in Shulin District, a base for the Hongren faction. The blast damaged the company's gate and ceiling, and a parked SUV was also hit by shrapnel. Shi surrendered to police with the device's pin. He claimed the attack was due to poor treatment from the company regarding a land development project for his father. However, police suspect he may be acting as a hitman for the Mingren faction.
Investigators are focusing on a drug transaction dispute, specifically involving the drug "etomidate," as the likely motive behind the escalating conflict between the Mingren and Hongren factions. The fact that both suspects surrendered promptly has led police to suspect they received instructions from senior gang members. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the explosive device fragments and seeking to uncover the full extent of the internal conflict within the Bamboo Union.
He claimed the attack was due to poor treatment from the company regarding a land development project for his father.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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