Illegal Overstayer Arrested After Fleeing Police Checkpoint

(CNA, Taipei, June 2) A Vietnamese man surnamed Ma, who had been illegally overstaying in Taiwan for about two years, was arrested after abandoning his car to flee from a police checkpoint in Taipei. The Taipei City Police Department's Daan Precinct stated that an officer from the Heping East Road Police Station spotted the vehicle driving erratically in mid-May and signaled for it to stop. During the inspection, the man appeared nervous and claimed he did not have his identification. However, the officer noticed an expired residence permit photo on the man's phone screen. Realizing he was caught, the man abandoned his car and fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by police. Investigations confirmed he had been reported as missing for two years. The police urged illegal overstayers to turn themselves in and warned employers that hiring illegal workers could result in fines of up to NT$750,000 under the Employment Service Act.