By RK Shih / Staff
KAOHSIUNG — The Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office officially concluded its investigation today into a massive illegal gravel mining and waste dumping operation at the so-called “Meinong Grand Canyon” (美濃大峽谷). Prosecutors have indicted 12 individuals, including a former assistant to a local city council member, on charges related to the Waste Disposal Act and the Organized Crime Prevention Act.
The investigation revealed that a criminal syndicate had mined gravel from agricultural lands in Meinong District (美濃區) since October 2017.
The group then turned the resulting pits into illegal dumping sites, backfilling them with approximately 140,000 tons of construction waste. The syndicate allegedly collected fees from truck drivers ranging from NT$600 to NT$1,500 per load, generating an estimated NT$240 million in illegal profits.
Source: 自由時報 (Liberty Times)
