Taiwan Ministry of Health researcher indicted for national security violations

A contract associate researcher at the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Department of Protection Services has been indicted for violating the National Security Act and accepting bribes. The Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office is seeking a 12-year prison sentence for the female suspect, identified by her surname Lin.

Prosecutors allege that starting in May 2025, Lin established contact with an individual known as “Mr. Zeng,” a member of an overseas hostile force, via the internet. In exchange for completing specific tasks—such as providing lists of journalists, collecting government intelligence, and facilitating money transfers—Lin was promised a monthly payment of 5,000 TWD.

Investigations revealed that Lin used her mobile phone to photograph confidential documents and transmitted the digital records to “Mr. Zeng” via the Telegram messaging app. Furthermore, Lin allegedly assisted in transferring funds to bribe military personnel, including individuals surnamed Jiang and Hong, who have already been indicted. The prosecution noted that some of the payments were routed through an account belonging to Lin Chen-yu.