Hong Kong Man Sentenced for Metro Credit‑Card Theft and International Fraud

Hong Kong national Zhou Wei was convicted in Taiwan for a series of credit‑card thefts carried out on crowded trains of the Taipei and Kaohsiung metros. Between December 2025 and January 2026 he stole 13 cards, transferred the chip data via NFC to a fraud network that produced counterfeit cards and used them for illegal purchases in Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, generating over NT$2.15 million in fraud proceeds. Prosecutors said Zhou repeatedly entered Taiwan, targeted passengers, discarded his clothing to avoid detection, and showed a hostile attitude during investigation. The court was asked to impose a sentence of more than nine years and to confiscate the stolen assets.