The China Post
Date: March 14, 2017
By: Stephanie Chao
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Ministry of Justice said it may seek international assistance to
Diving trainers and volunteers are cleaning up a sea bed in this photo taken on Sunday, March 12, off the shores of Green Island. The sea bed, polluted by almost 300 kilograms of oil stain from an oil spill off the shores of Taiwan’s Green Island, was cleared up. Taitung District Prosecutors’ Office requested an update of the clean-up process on Monday. (CNA)
track down the perpetrator of a recent oil spill in the waters surrounding Taiwan’s offshore Green Island.
Deputy Justice Minister Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) said that using GPS, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) had identified a suspicious foreign-registered vessel that may be behind the spill.
The vessel has already left Taiwan’s waters, though whether there are Taiwanese distributors or other parties involved is still being investigated by local environmental protection agencies, prosecution offices and the Taitung County Government, Chen said.
The Justice Ministry said that if the oil spill were categorized as an environmental crime or marine pollution criminal case, the Justice Ministry would seek to resolve the case through international collaboration in a method similar to how Taiwan had busted overseas fraud rings. [FULL STORY]
