Category：Society

7 females accuse pharmacist of sexual assault and harassment

More details are emerging in the case involving a college student who was drugged while worked part-time at a pharmacy in Tamsui. The woman alleges that the pharmacist spiked her drink while she was not looking. Investigators say she was not the only alleged victim. So far, at least seven women have come forward, reporting alleged sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and sexual harassment. The pharmacist, surnamed Chen, has been detained incommunicado.

In New Taipei City’s Tamsui, the female college student who worked part-time at a pharmacy where she was drugged is no longer the only victim.

A social media user posted online that she had previously worked at the pharmacy. She says the pharmacist would order her to go into the storage room, where he would proceed to hug and grope the victim. This behavior grew more frequent, leading to the part-time worker quitting the job. The pharmacist’s reaction to the drugging incident was just as callous as his behavior.

Mr. Chen (Sept. 4)
Pharmacist in detention
I originally thought that she’d maybe just take one sip, think it tasted strange, and then she’d probably spit it out. So after that I’d just tell her it was just a joke.

The pharmacist had put a drug containing benzodiazepine into the water bottle of the woman. She noticed something was strange when she went to open the bottle yet found that she couldn’t get the top to twist open. The perpetrator pretended not to notice, and even made a joke at the victim’s expense.

-Help me open it, please.
-Isn’t it a bit ridiculous you can’t even open your own bottle?

With her shift coming to an end, he then switched to play the role of the false hero, offering to give a ride home to the young woman, who was disoriented as she went to leave.

-Or would you like for me to give you a ride?
Would you like a ride home?

For the ongoing police investigation, there’s a growing list of female victims: one accused him of sexual assault, another is attempted sexual assault, and three have come forward claiming sexual harassment.

Hsing Yueh
Lawyer (not involved in case)
Putting a Schedule III drug in the victim’s water without the victim’s knowledge is a direct violation of the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act.

Wu Ching-yi
Political commentator
As for me, I think she was incredibly brave to have contacted the police immediately after realizing that she might’ve blacked out.

The pharmacist has, nonetheless, been brazen when questioned; prosecutors revealed that he continues to repeat himself and is unclear about the process of when he spiked the drink. With his vague testimony and the list of victims growing, it appears this case isn’t going to be settled anytime soon.

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#sexualassault #Tamsui #pharmacist #drugged #spiked #sexualharassment

2026-09-07

Taichung driver gets 13 tickets in 42 seconds

A Taichung driver was hit with 13 traffic tickets totaling NT$13,800 in just 42 seconds for driving in the oncoming lane and failing to use a turn signal. The driver protested the fines, saying the parked cars on either side of the road left no choice but to cross the center line. Police said they would ask the National Police Agency about the tickets’ validity.

This driver got 13 tickets in just 42 seconds on his way home, roughly one every three seconds. There were six for failing to use a turn signal and seven for crossing the double yellow line, totaling NT$13,800 in fines.

Mr. Lee
Driver
I got the first one and was going to pay it, but the next day, 12 more came. I was overwhelmed. One or two is fine, but when so many came the next day, I realized something was wrong.

Wang Yu-fei
FTV reporter
He was driving here on Jinzhou Road and crossed the double yellow line to avoid cars parked on either side of the road, resulting in the tickets.

As Jinzhou Road in Taichung’s Wufeng District is only 8 meters wide, drivers often cross the double yellow line to avoid vehicles parked on either side. The driver has driven on this road many times, but has never been issued repeated violations. This time he feels the tickets were unfair.

Mr. Lee
Driver
Almost every car will cross the center line on this road because it’s so narrow and there are illegally parked cars and motorcycles.

Repeat fines can be issued if a violation lasts more than six minutes or the vehicle passes through at least one intersection. But Lee said he passed through the entrance to an alley, not a full intersection. Taichung police said they would ask the National Police Agency.

Chang Yi-ko
Wufeng police officer
As the location in question is an alley entrance, police will seek clarification from the National Police Agency on whether it qualifies as a legally defined intersection.

On roads less than 10 meters wide, drivers who violate traffic rules to avoid illegally parked vehicles may be exempt from tickets. Lee filed an appeal and is waiting for the verdict.

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#driver #driving #traffic #fine #ticket #tickets #doubleyellowline #parking #alley #illegalparking

2026-09-01

Firefighter dies rescuing tourists who went rafting in stormy weather

A rafting trip in Nantou quickly turned into a fight against the current and later into a rescue mission that claimed a life. Five tourists were caught in a rafting accident on Nantou’s Zhuoshui River. Two managed to swim to shore while three were left stranded on the opposite bank. One of the three was rescued, but a second rescue operation took a deadly turn when the boat overturned, sending two firefighters into the current. One made it back to safety, but a 50-year-old firefighter surnamed Wu was swept away and died.

Rescuers battle the roaring current, wearing life jackets and helmets. After wading 800m upstream, they switch to an inflatable rescue boat.

We’re at the Zhuoshui River in Nantou, where a rafting accident was reported at 2 on Sunday afternoon. Of the five tourists who were onboard the capsized boat, two managed to swim ashore, and three were left stranded on the opposite river bank.

Voice of rescued victim
Was on capsized boat
Halfway through our trip, we reached the Kashe River, which was muddy and had a strong current. The two of us went to ask for help.

Fire and police rescuers conducted a two-day rescue operation. One person was rescued on the first attempt, but on the second attempt, two firefighters fell into the strong current after their vessel capsized. One was able to swim ashore, but another one, surnamed Wu, was swept away.

Lin Chih-hsin
Nantou Fire Department
We found Wu 700-800m upstream of the Shuanglong Bridge.

He was rushed to a hospital, but was pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts failed. He’s the first firefighter to die in the line of duty since the Nantou County Fire Department was established.

Liu Shyh-fang
Minister of the Interior
The president and the premier have expressed their deepest condolences to the family of the firefighter, Mr. Wu. As a token of our respect, we will create a fund to cover his children’s expenses until they graduate from university.

Hsu Shu-hua
Nantou County Commissioner
In extreme weather, you should consider all factors when going hiking or boating. It would be extremely regrettable if something were to happen to our rescuers.

Mr. Wu was a 50-year-old former military officer who later took an exam to transfer to the Fire Department. He was dispatched on many challenging missions, saving countless lives.

An autopsy was conducted at the funeral home on Tuesday morning. Two tourists remain stranded, but with the difficult terrain and weather conditions, their rescue remains challenging. Supplies have been airdropped so they have sustenance, and once the weather clears, the two may be rescued via helicopter.

#rescue #rafting #hero #firefighter #nantou #extremesports

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2026-09-01

3-storey-tall retaining wall collapses in landslide

Heavy downpours have battered Southern Taiwan for days now, and the mountains are absolutely saturated with water. Besides flooding, the showers caused a retaining wall to collapse without warning in Kaohsiung’s Siaogang District. The three-storey wall gave in on Friday afternoon, crushing several scooters and nearly reaching into people’s homes. The footage is shocking.

The retaining wall started tilting until it suddenly tipped over, unleashing a landslide of soil, rocks and trees. Fortunately, nobody was in the area where the scooters were parked. The closest person was in a white car just a few steps away, which narrowly escaped getting buried under the debris. The mud reached across the street, and was as close as 1m of hitting nearby residences. Though no one was injured, locals say it was a scary incident nonetheless.

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#landslide #mudslide #collapse #retainingwall #kaohsiung #rainyweather #citylife

2026-08-28

Driver protests fine for swerving to avoid pedestrian on narrow roadway

Shunxing Street in Taichung’s Beitun District is notoriously narrow and always has cars parked along the side, forcing pedestrians to walk on the roadway. To keep a safe distance, one driver had to move toward the center and accidentally touched the median line, only to be reported by a trailing vehicle.

Lines of cars are parked on either side of this roadway, forcing pedestrians to walk out into the street. That’s the source of the problem.

This driver accidentally touched the center line while trying to give space for a pedestrian, resulting in a ticket.

Voice of driver (voice altered)
Shunxing Street is only about 10 meters wide, but both sides are packed with cars. There’s only around 5 or 6 meters of usable roadway. To avoid a pedestrian, I had to get close to the median line and the car behind me took a photo.

Shunxing Street in Taichung’s Beitun District isn’t that wide to begin with. But with cars parked on either side, it’s difficult to avoid crossing over into the middle.

Nearby resident
When it’s like this, even two cars passing each other is difficult. What are we pedestrians supposed to do?

Nearby resident
Since Dung-Guang Elementary is back there, there’s usually a lot of traffic on this road in the morning.

On a visit to this stretch of road, we found that nearly every vehicle had the same issue. To avoid driving too close to the parked cars, every one touched or crossed the yellow line.

Local borough warden
Most residents around here say this road is hard to navigate. You almost always have to drive on the double yellow.

With no sidewalk, pedestrians are forced out into the road. To avoid causing an accident, cars have to drive in the center, even though they might get fined. Police said anyone can file an appeal if they think they were ticketed inappropriately.

Huang Shao-che
Taichung Bureau of Transportation section chief
This stretch of road is less than 9 meters wide. To maintain enough space, we will adjust the red lines along the edge of the road to align with the center yellow line.

The Taichung transportation bureau said it would look into improving the road to make sure that vehicles and pedestrians don’t have to compete for space.

#roadsafety #traffic #Taichung #trafficticket #unfair #pedestriansafety #roaddesign

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2026-08-27

AI deepfake scam steals voice and images of top Taiwanese farmer

Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for centuries have used the plant astragalus. Now it is the subject of an AI deepfake scam. An online ad falsely claimed that one of Taiwan’s top farmers in Yunlin had created a concoction of black beans and astragalus to lower blood pressure, illegally using his voice and image. In fact, Yunlin County has seen many farmers’ voices and images illegally appropriated and used in advertising scams. Let’s find out more.

This social media video claims to be from a black bean farmer in Yunlin who has developed a black bean with astragalus blend. The video sounds very convincing, but it is actually a fraudulent advertisement. The voice and image being used in the scam is that of Chi Shen-chieh, one of Taiwan’s Top 100 young farmers.

Chi Shen-chieh
Top 100 young farmers
I myself am a victim. I grow soybeans, and one day a friend said to me: Have you invented a new product that can lower blood pressure and blood lipids, something like astragalus and black beans? I replied: There’s no such thing!

Images and audio were all used fraudulently, and many supporters were actually deceived into placing orders. In recent years, with the rapid development of AI, many local farmers’ associations and farmers in Yunlin County have seen their names stolen and published in ads on one-single-page landing websites that sell agricultural products of unknown origin.

Chi Shen-chieh
Top 100 young farmers
We’re in the AI era now, and making these kinds of things is even easier, so these kinds of phenomena will definitely pop up more and more, and more consumers will be scammed. Therefore, I think we really need to find a way to solve this problem.

To curb fraud, the Yunlin County Government has introduced an AI-based anti-fraud system, using AI to combat AI-powered scams.

Yang Chih-sheng
Yunlin County Police Bureau
By establishing a fraud prevention workflow that integrates AI-driven detection, risk analysis, police review, platform notification, and rapid takedown, we are shifting from a reactive model reliant on victim reports to proactively blocking fraudulent ads before the public ever sees them.

Since launching in June, the AI anti-fraud system detected over 400 high-risk ads and more than 100 suspicious fan pages through the end of July, successfully taking them down within 24 hours to stem the spread of digital fraud.

#AIdeepfakes #AIscams #YunlinCounty #Taiwanfarmers #Taiwanscams

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2026-08-25

Fire spreads through famous temple on mountain near Taipei Zoo

On Monday, a fire quickly spread through Zhinan Temple in Taipei, a landmark religious site located on the mountain bordering Taipei Zoo. From the outside, the damage to the exterior may look severe, but, structurally, the building is in good shape, meaning the temple’s 60th anniversary likely won’t be its last.

The flames have spread across the main hall of the temple. Staff members are doing everything they can with fire extinguishers, but they’re no match for the roaring inferno.

As the fire continues to rage, first responders arrive at the scene. They get the hoses ready and douse the temple with water, trying to salvage as much of the historic building as they can. To find the cause of the fire, they use a drone with a thermal imaging camera; they’re doing everything they can to put out this fire.

The next morning, the main hall has been burnt to a crisp: tables, chairs, religious art figurines… so many items have been reduced to ashes. Compared to its impressive appearance in the past, in its current state the renowned temple must be a difficult image to stomach for worshippers.

On Aug. 24 at a little after 8 pm, Zhinan Temple’s fire alarm rang. The flames are believed to have started inside the Taipei temple’s main hall, and then the blaze quickly spread towards the building’s exterior. The temple is located in Wenshan District’s mountains, making it difficult to access water. Another problematic aspect is the building’s large amount of wood, which was a reason the flames spread so quickly. Not being put out until after midnight, the fire destroyed 1,500 square meters.

Yeh Chun-hsing
First responder
Because the structure was built with an immense amount of wood, and then the flames deeper inside continued to spread inwards. So that’s why there was a situation in which the flames multiplied so quickly.

Built in 1966, the 6-story Lingxiao Hall was celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The temple’s burnt hall is the first Jade Emperor hall in Taiwan to use modern building materials like reinforced concrete. It may appear as if Zhinan Temple’s highest hall on the mountain has been destroyed by the flames, but structurally the fire has caused little damage.

Hsu Mao-chin
Civil engineer
Only some pillars in the stairwell were affected, as well as a small amount of cracks in the cement finish, but this won’t affect the safety of our building’s structure.

Early in the morning Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an arrived at the site of Zhinan Temple, one of his city’s landmark temples. Chiang promised that the city government will set up a project in order to help the temple be restored and rebuilt. As for what caused the fire, an investigation is still on-going.

#Taipei #Maokong #temple #Zhinan #onfire #elfuego #fire #ChiangWan-an

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2026-08-25

Forensic institute holds ceremony for over 9,000 deceased

The Institute of Forensic Medicine, Taiwan’s only institution that does forensic examinations, is responsible for determining causes of death and conducting DNA testing for prosecutors’ offices nationwide. With its storage facilities nearing capacity, the institute held a special ceremony during Ghost Month and plans to cremate and bury remains from 9,409 cases.

Wearing gloves and a mask, a staff member at the Institute of Forensic Medicine carefully processes a sample. Even small specimens can help confirm a deceased person’s identity and cause of death, playing a crucial role in legal investigations. But what happens to the specimens once the case is closed?

The institute’s acting director led staff in prayers at a memorial ceremony for more than 9,000 people. The facility storing their remains has reached capacity, so the institute held a ceremony before transferring the remains to a crematorium.

Tseng Hsin-tung
Institute of Forensic Medicine acting director
We have accumulated remains from 9,409 people over the past few years, so we held a memorial ceremony during Ghost Month to pray for them and help them find peace in the afterlife.

The institute, Taiwan’s only forensic examination agency, has helped prosecutors determine causes of death and conduct DNA testing since its founding in 1998, particularly for cases involving unnatural deaths or major crimes. Specimens were previously disposed of as medical waste, but for humanitarian reasons, the institute in 2018 began holding memorial ceremonies and cremating the remains.

Hsiao Chung-chuan
Temple chairman
We donated 30 coffins to promote charity and give back to society. We’re honored to have this opportunity to do something meaningful.

Even small samples can help determine someone’s identity and cause of death during investigations. The memorial ceremony symbolizes the conclusion of the investigation and honors the deceased.
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#forensic #analysis #DNA #case #investigation #InstituteofForensicMedicine #memorial #cremation

2026-08-21

Bizarre crash as wheelchair and scooter collide in rush hour traffic

Rush hour traffic can get pretty intense sometimes, but a recent crash in Kaohsiung was not anything any road user had been expecting. The two parties involved are a scooter driver and a wheelchair user, who suddenly made a left turn into heavy traffic. Let’s hear more.

Tseng Hung-wen
FTV reporter
The crash happened on Minzu 1st road, which is usually busy with traffic. Who knew a wheelchair would cause so much rush hour chaos?

Eyewitness
Heard loud crash
It was so loud. I turned to look and they were on the ground.

Eyewitness
Fan of looking before crossing
Coming out onto the road like that is not OK. You should look out for cars first.

Eyewitness
Would’ve crashed too
I would have dodged it but I’d probably end up on the ground anyway. Avoiding it cleanly would be hard.

Hu Wen-tsung
Kaohsiung Traffic Police Corps
Electric wheelchairs are considered just as pedestrians. Failing to keep to the side of the road can result in a fine of NT$500. The scooter rider failed to pay attention to the road conditions. The accounts of both parties will be evaluated by traffic police.

Security cameras captured the moment when the wheelchair was heading toward the Veterans General Hospital from downtown Kaohsiung. Instead of riding on the sidewalk, it passes in front of the scooter waiting zone before suddenly switching directions and making a left turn into traffic. Fortunately, both the 59-year-old wheelchair user and the 22-year-old scooter rider emerged with just minor injuries. Authorities are still determining why the wheelchair user suddenly turned left and who is at fault for the crash.

#wheelchair #scooter #mobility #accessibility #traffic #kaohsiung #lookbothwaysbeforecrossing

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2026-08-21

Tow trunk heartthrob keeps cool after getting hit by man

Last summer, tow truck driver William Meng left the hearts of many throbbing after a news story showed him moving illegally parked scooters. Just a few months later, it was Meng’s face that was left throbbing because an illegally parking elderly man attacked the amateur bodybuilder. Meng kept his cool and called the police to handle the situation, showing that he has both brawn and brains.

Tanned and toned tow truck driver heartthrob William Meng was just doing one of his two day jobs, taking away some illegally parked scooters when he was attacked by this 71-year-old man, who had climbed onto the truck in order to yank his scooter off.

This old man had a lot of fight in him, punching and even slapping this hunky heartthrob’s head. The young man kept calm, calling the police instead of fighting back.

The tow truck driver had already finished packing up the scooter of the old man, who wouldn’t get down and even ended up getting pulled off the truck after he attacked police officers. This incident happened in New Taipei’s Sanchong back in October of last year. Meng said this experience was a first for him, and that he’d already reported the elderly man. The minor celebrity with major muscles did his best to stop the enraged older man, whose behavior could’ve damaged other vehicles and even his own health.

William Meng
Hunky tow truck driver
I was worried that if he pulled his scooter down, that other scooters would fall on him, so he might get hurt. So, I tried to get in his way, to stop him from opening our truck’s drop-side, which likely made him even angrier, even more unhappy. He kept on attacking me, kept on hitting my back, even slapping me once or twice. I was getting fed up, especially since the police and I were just doing our duty.

After this elderly man attacked Meng, injuring his back, neck, and even his face, the scooter-moving celebrity was then accosted by another person: this time it was a selfie seeker.

A 2025 news story showing Meng towing scooters revealed his impressive physique and good looks, which drew comparisons to celebrities near and far, like Korean actor So Ji-sub.

William Meng
Hunky tow truck driver
Training to get this big, it’s just something we like to do. It doesn’t mean that we can take punches, or that we can use it to fight people.

This illegal scooter parking episode turned into a one-sided brawl, where the tow truck heartthrob kept his cool instead of using self-defense, while the old man might be in trouble for an Offense of Obstructing an Officer in Discharge of Duties.

#towtruck #muscle #hunk #workout #bodybuilder #heartthrob #SoJisub #소지섭 #asianmen #hunky #hunkymen #男神

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2026-08-18