Senior Taiwanese officer held for spying for Chi

Taipei, May 10: A senior military official who once headed Taiwan’s Air Defence Missile Command has been arrested for spying for Chi, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday.

Major General Hsieh Chia-kang, Deputy Chief of the Army’s command for Matsu, a small island off the coast of Chi’s Fujian Province, has been taken into custody, Efe news reported.

Hsieh headed the missile command, which consists of several important battalions and missiles — Patriot III, Sky Bow II and III and HAWK as well as strategic counterattack missiles (ground-to-ground) and Hsiung Feng missiles.

Investigation Bureau agents on Tuesday searched Hsieh’s residence in Pingtung and arrested him.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said it suspected that Hsieh had been hired by Chi not only to spy but also to create a spy network.

In recent years, several Taiwanese military and security agents have been accused of spying for Chi but most were retired. (IANS)