TAIPEI: "Interior Minister" Jiang Yi-huah vowed yesterday to strengthen efforts to eliminate telephone fraud and track fraud rings down wherever they may be.

Speaking in a radio interview, Jiang said some phone fraud rings are believed to have relocated or are planning to relocate their operating bases from the mainland to Southeast Asian countries after a cross-Straits agreement on joint cooperation in fighting crime took effect last year.

"However, no matter where they flee, we will track them down," Jiang pledged. "We will not let them build up a firm foothold anywhere."

Since the cooperation pact came into effect more than half a year ago, Taiwan and mainland law enforcement authorities have forged a viable cooperative mechanism under which 11 notorious telephone fraud rings have been busted and 271 suspects have been arrested, Jiang said.

"Nowaways, the number of scam phone calls has declined significantly and a Southeast Asia-bound relocation trend is arising among fraud rings," Jiang said.

Over the past year, Jiang said, the government has fought hard to combat the problem.

The "Ministry of the Interior" (MOI) has not only installed a "165" anti-fraud phone line but has also joined forces with the "National Communications Commission" and the Financial Supervisory Commission to form a cross-agency coordination platform to improve operational efficiency.

As for the MOI's top overall priorities, Jiang identified maintaining good public order and improving welfare services as two of its most important missions because they are closely related to people's daily lives.

"I have prioritized resolving practical problems and further strengthening what we have already done well," Jiang said.

As to upgrading the performance of Taiwan's police, Jiang said he has attached great importance to enhancing the police force's discipline, image and integrity since taking office last September.

"As police services basically involve personal interaction, police officers should deal with their work with sincerity from their heart. Otherwise, their efforts will lead nowhere," Jiang said.

Jiang has also expressed concern over whether the police are under-reporting hard-to-solve criminal cases to make crime statistics look good and prop up their clearance rates.

"I would like to see cases faithfully reported and all of them really dealt with," Jiang added.

On the annual crime-fighting drive ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Jiang said this year's "spring public order campaign" will start February 5 and run through March 1.

During that period, police officers will focus on maintaining smooth traffic flow and safety at public places and preventing criminal rings from tempting youngsters into crime during their winter vacation.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 01/28/2010 page2)