Yunlin prosecutors indict 21 for illegal industrial waste dumping

The Yunlin District Prosecutors Office has indicted 21 individuals and seven companies for an illegal industrial waste dumping scheme in Ceting Township, Yunlin County. The criminal group, led by a man surnamed Lin, allegedly used retaining wall construction projects as a cover to dump over 43,000 cubic meters of waste.

Between May 2022 and May 2024, the group transported waste materials—including concrete blocks, glass fibers, and plastic mixtures—from various locations including Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, and Changhua. The illegal activity is estimated to have saved the group between 619 million and 1.5 billion TWD in waste disposal fees.

Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of at least three years for the ringleader, citing significant environmental pollution and interference with government management. The authorities are also seeking to confiscate or recover the estimated criminal proceeds, which could exceed 1.5 billion TWD.