Scalper Group Leader Arrested for Profiteering from K-Pop Concert Tickets, Released on NT$500,000 Bail

Taipei, Jul. 4 (CNA) A man surnamed Chen, suspected of hiring engineers to develop ticket-scalping software to illegally obtain and resell K-pop concert tickets for profit, was arrested and subsequently released on NT$500,000 bail with travel restrictions by the Taipei District Court.

The Taipei District Court ruled that after interrogation, Chen admitted to the crimes. Based on his testimony, the detention request, and other evidence, it is believed that Chen is heavily suspected of committing crimes including the use of forged private documents and violations of the Cultural and Creative Industries Act. Furthermore, Chen's frequent overseas travel indicated a risk of flight, thus warranting detention.

However, the judge considered that the crimes Chen is accused of are not serious felonies punishable by imprisonment of 5 years or more. Many of the alleged offenses occurred several years ago. After balancing these factors using the principle of proportionality, the court determined that detention was unnecessary if Chen posted NT$500,000 in bail and was restricted from leaving the country or its territorial waters for 8 months starting immediately.

The judge reasoned that Chen confessed from the outset, and objective evidence in the case file did not suggest any false statements. Therefore, the court could not infer that Chen would collude with accomplices simply because other suspects were still under investigation. Regarding the destruction of evidence, the court found no indication that Chen had deleted any crucial evidence related to the case, and thus did not accept the prosecutor's claim of a risk of evidence tampering.

Police stated that to prevent ticket scalping, online ticketing platforms require real-name registration for purchases. However, during a recent concert by a popular K-pop group in Taiwan, the public reported suspected scalping by groups using fake identification or information. An investigation led to the arrest of Chen, 38, identified as the leader of a suspected scalping group.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau announced on July 3rd that intelligence indicated the scalping group was selling concert tickets through Facebook groups. After a two-year investigation, the group's leader, Chen, and the location of their server room were identified. On July 1st, Chen and two assistants were arrested.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Chen allegedly hired engineers to write ticket-scalping programs targeting ticketing systems. After successfully acquiring tickets, they were resold at inflated prices for profit. Police arrested Chen and his associates, seizing 53 concert tickets for popular Taiwanese and Korean artists, over 1.06 million Japanese Yen, admission passes, and merchandise such as fan support cards.

Following police questioning, Chen was transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office on suspicion of forgery and offenses against computer use. The two assistants were released. Prosecutors requested detention and a prohibition on communication for Chen, but the court ruled detention unnecessary and set bail at NT$500,000. (Edited by Li Heng-shan) 1150704

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