Taipei: The chief of the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was forced to apologize Tuesday for failures in the agency's handling of the illegal entry of two Chinese nationals after their rubber dinghy was found near Taipei Port by a member of the public.
According to Focus Taiwan, CGA Director-General Chang Chung-lung expressed regret for the lapses, which included a radar operator's failure to adhere to standard operating procedures and inadequate investigations by patrol officers along the coastline. Chang assured that the agency would hold those responsible strictly accountable.
The CGA reported being alerted on July 24 about the discovery of an inflatable boat near the northern breakwater of Taipei Port in New Taipei's Bali District. The two Chinese suspects were identified following a review of footage from coastal monitoring systems. They were subsequently arrested on July 30 in Taoyuan and detained without visitation rights on August 3, as per local media reports. The Shilin District Prosecutors Office is currently investigating the case.
A post on Threads by an unnamed individual criticized the Coast Guard for inadequate patrolling of the coastline and for not following up on a tip from a fisherman, suggesting attempts to prevent public disclosure of information. The CGA acknowledged that patrol personnel had checked the shoreline after the tip was received but missed some areas, allowing the suspects to evade detection.
The CGA investigation revealed that a radar operator mistook a detected signal for ocean wave interference, a mistake deemed a significant human error by Huang Cheng-wei, commander of the CGA's 8th Northern Branch Coast Patrol Corps. The case gained public attention through the Threads post, which detailed how a fisherman discovered the boat on a beach in Bali District, along with Chinese-made fuel containers, toilet paper with simplified Chinese characters, and life jackets.
The post criticized the CGA for not detecting or alerting authorities to the presence of suspected smugglers, who abandoned the boat and disappeared. It also alleged that Coast Guard personnel had requested the fisherman not to release photos from the scene to maintain confidentiality and protect the investigation.
While apologizing for the incident, the CGA cited a lack of resources and outdated technology as contributing factors. It noted that advanced surveillance equipment and AI systems for detecting small targets are not yet fully deployed, requiring personnel to optimize radar sensitivity, though achieving zero undetected cases remains elusive.
The CGA reported 29 suspected illegal entry cases involving 71 people since last year, with authorities intercepting 22 cases involving 61 individuals. The agency committed to enhancing shoreline patrols and maritime surveillance, and expediting the acquisition of AI systems, drones, and other surveillance equipment to ensure national and maritime security.