A lieutenant in Taiwan’s military police has been charged with selling secret military documents to a person in China for more than NT$260,000 (USD$8,105) worth of cryptocurrency, prosecutors said on Tuesday (Sept. 3).
Prosecutors in Kaohsiung’s Ciaotou District issued a statement that said a lieutenant surnamed Han (韓) first contacted the Chinese buyer online in 2022 hoping to make money to pay off a loan, per CNA. In 2023, Han worked with a former company commander surnamed Lin who gave him access to the military intranet, prosecutors said.
Han is accused of sending seven secret documents to the Chinese buyer, including information on defense against cyber warfare. Prosecutors said Han received more than 8,000 units of the cryptocurrency Tether for the information, which he converted into local currency.
Han has been charged with corruption and breaking national security laws, and Lin with leaking state secrets. Prosecutors said they would recommend a harsher sentence for Han due to the nature of the alleged crimes.
