The captain of the China-registered cargo ship "Hongtai", suspected of damaging undersea cable No.3 between Taiwan and Penghu in late February, has been detained by authorities.
The Tainan District Prosecutor's Office concluded the investigation and filed for prosecution on Friday, transferring the case to the Tainan District Court. The other seven crew members have been deported as there was insufficient evidence to prove their involvement.
Following Chunghwa Telecom’s March 25 report of service interruption, the Hongtai was discovered stranded only a half nautical mile north of the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 undersea cable. The Coast Guard Administration subsequently found that the cargo ship had dropped anchor and was caught in the act of destroying the cable.
The Tainan District Court alleges that the captain, surnamed Wang, deliberately sabotaged the undersea communications line, which he has denied. Ocean Affairs Council Chairperson Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) reported that Wang, who has a criminal record, tried to change the ship name by switching iron plates on the side, further alleging to his obvious attempts at covering other illegal acts.