In the 2026 Taiwan local elections for the 9-in-1 positions, a total of 19,695 people completed their registration, with 26 mainland Chinese spouses running for office. The Supreme Prosecutors Office initiated the first wave of crackdown on illegal money flow cases, uncovering 212 incidents and seizing over 900 million New Taiwan Dollars (NTD) in cash and bank accounts gained from criminal activities.
Chairman You Yinglong of the Central Election Commission of the Republic of China (Taiwan) stated on the 7th that the registration for the 115th year of the Republic (2026) local elections was closed on the 4th, with 19,695 candidates competing for 11,051 positions. The overall registration situation saw a slight decrease of 130 people compared to four years ago. Among them, 26 mainland Chinese spouses registered to run, an increase of 7 people compared to the previous election, reflecting natural fluctuations.
The Taiwan Supreme Prosecutors Office issued a press release today on the 8th, stating that in response to the local elections for public offices on November 28, to prevent unlawful financial influence on the elections, a specialized task force was deployed nationwide from August 17 to September 4, consisting of prosecution, police, and investigative agencies.
According to the Supreme Prosecutors Office, during the operation, prosecutors from various local offices directed officials from the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, the Ministry of the Interior Criminal Police Bureau, and local police departments to conduct crackdowns and investigations.
Based on reports from various local prosecutors’ offices, a total of 212 cases of illegal money flow were uncovered, involving 588 individuals suspected of violating banking laws, anti-money laundering regulations, and criminal laws related to gambling. Among them, 75 individuals were approved for detention upon prosecutors’ requests, 229 individuals were released on bail, and the remaining defendants were subject to various compulsory measures such as house arrest.
In terms of seizures, the Supreme Prosecutors Office stated that approximately over 990.6 million NTD in cash and gains from criminal activities were confiscated, along with over 39,000 units of Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, 20 vehicles, as well as 850 mobile phones, tablets, and computer mainframes, 36 real estate properties, in addition to more than 100 high-end luxury bags, watches, and gold jewelry.
The Supreme Prosecutors Office mentioned that this is the first wave of the year’s crackdown on illegal money flow cases, and subsequent efforts will involve continued supervision of local prosecutors to vigorously combat foreign fund intervention in elections and underground financial crimes, as well as to confiscate illegal gains from fraud, gambling, and money laundering, in order to deter underground financial crimes and cleanse the electoral atmosphere.