For 2,000 U coins, is it treason?
The Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office in Taiwan recently concluded a major case involving national security. A female sergeant surnamed Wu from the southern branch of the Coast Guard, driven by a lack of money, used her position to secretly photograph classified documents and sold important national information to a Chinese national through cryptocurrency transactions.
It is reported that the female sergeant surnamed Wu previously served in the sixth coastal patrol team of the southern branch of the Coast Guard. Due to financial pressure, she was recruited by a Chinese national, Wang Jincai, on social media last year. Starting from mid-November last year, she took advantage of her duty to secretly photograph classified documents, including records of the Pingdong social radar station's level three 'National Critical Infrastructure Protection' drills, duty reports, and annual work reports, and sent them to Wang Jincai via LINE.
According to investigations by the Qiaotou District Prosecutor's Office, in this case, Ms. Wu received Tether coins worth 73,000 yuan ($USDT) from Wang Jincai, believing she could cover her criminal traces anonymously through the anonymity of cryptocurrency.
Still wanting to pocket another 500,000 but gets caught
However, Ms. Wu's greed did not stop there. Within just one month after the first transaction, Wang Jincai offered her a high price of 500,000 again, asking her to obtain higher-level secrets, such as the Dongsha defense plan, command handover materials, equipment deployment charts, and other documents.
Ms. Wu contacted a colleague surnamed Ye from the southern branch through LINE, but Ye refused to cooperate and reported the relevant situation to superiors, which ultimately exposed the entire case.
In May of this year, prosecutors filed a public prosecution against Ms. Wu for intending to harm national security, leaking secrets beyond national defense, and accepting bribes in violation of duty. The prosecution believes that her actions have posed a significant threat to national security, especially during the current tense cross-strait situation, where the act of selling intelligence could cause immeasurable damage to national defense deployment.
The Qiaotou District Court recently made a first-instance judgment, determining that the criminal facts concerning Ms. Wu were clear. Although she confessed candidly during the interrogation and was willing to return the criminal proceeds, the court still sentenced her to a combined prison term of 6 years and 2 months for two crimes and deprived her of civil rights for three years. The case is still open for appeal.
Chinese infiltration is becoming increasingly severe
Ms. Wu's case highlights the seriousness of national security loopholes and poses challenges to the internal management of military and police units. (Crypto City) previously reported two similar cases, where China attempted to recruit Taiwanese officers through inducements.
China uses virtual currency to bribe Taiwanese officers! The espionage case judgment is out, and a former major receives a 13-year sentence
For 8,000 Tether coins, selling Taiwan! Officers take photos of secrets for 'pleasant-sounding' Chinese individuals
National security experts also called for heightened vigilance among both military personnel and ordinary citizens, especially maintaining high alert against inducements from unfamiliar sources. After all, actions like those of Ms. Wu not only endanger the country but also lead to severe personal consequences, ultimately resulting in a loss that outweighs any gain.
'For 2,000 Tether coins, is it treason? Coast Guard female sergeant sells secrets to China, wants to pocket another 500,000 but gets caught' This article was first published on 'Crypto City'