Taiwan Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office Press Release

Issue Date: July 22, 2025
Contributor: Yu-Shan Yan ,Deputy Chief Prosecutor

Ciaotou District Prosecutors Office uncovered a human trafficking ring primarily composed of Vietnamese nationals, which forced missing Indonesian migrant workers into labor. Three defendants Indicted, two missing migrant worker accomplices wanted.

    This Office received a report from Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency that two missing Indonesian migrant workers were forcibly held to work off debts and their whereabouts are currently unknown. The Chief Prosecutor of this office attaches great importance to this matter and has instructed Head Prosecutor Shi Jia-rong and Prosecutor Chen Jun-hong to form a special task force, which successfully dismantled a human trafficking and illegal brokerage ring led by Vietnamese spouse Fan ○-Ru, who has already obtained legal status in our country.

    The task force investigation revealed that Fan ○-Ru and her Vietnamese boyfriend, Nguyen  ○-Thu, who is a missing migrant worker, were contracting construction projects in Taichung. They were involved in the long-term illegal recruitment of missing migrant workers to multiple job sites. In early February 2025, two missing Indonesian migrant workers, Amu and Asheng, left due to unsatisfactory working conditions and sought new employment in Yilan. Fan ○-Ru, together with Nguyen  ○-Thu, her Vietnamese friend Nguyen -Toan, missing Vietnamese migrant worker Nguyen ○-Guang, and missing Indonesian migrant worker Ivan, went to the new employer's site of Amu and Asheng in Su'ao, Yilan, where they forcibly took them away. They then took victims to places including Tanzi in Taichung and the mountainous area of Shanlin in Kaohsiung, where they used coercive means to restrict their freedom. They fabricated false reasons to create large debts, confiscated the victims' passports, and threatened them that if they did not repay the money,they would face harm and be turned over to the police. Fan  ○-Ru and others took advantage of the disadvantaged legal position of the missing migrant workers, trapping the two victims in a situation of debt bondage and fear of deportation. As a result, the victims agreed to work for Fan ○-Ru without pay in order to repay the debt.

    The task force followed the leads and apprehended Nguyen  ○-Thu and Fan ○-Ru. The prosecutor applied to the court for their detention, which was granted. On July 16, 2025, the prosecutor concluded the investigation and determined that Nguyen ○-Thu, Fan ○-Ru, Nguyen○-Toan were suspected of violating the Criminal Code, including Article 304, Section 1 (coercion), Article 302-1, Section 1, Item 3 (unlawful detention by three or more people), and Article 305 (threats). In addition, Nguyen-Thu and Fan ○-Ru were charged with violating the Human Trafficking Prevention Act,Article 31, Sections 1 and 2, for using threats and   improper debt bondage to make others work for compensation that was significantly disproportionate.Public prosecution was initiated. Two other missing migrant workers, who were accomplices, remain at large and have been placed on the wanted list.

    Chief Prosecutor of this office emphasized that fairness in the labor market and protection of migrant workers' rights are crucial to safeguarding the employment rights of citizens and ensuring economic development. Human trafficking operations that exploit workers through illegal means not only disrupt labor market order but also constitute serious violations of human rights This office will cooperate with relevant agencies and actively investigate related cases to combat illegal activities.

News No. 2025072201