7 of 20 bodies found floating off Taiwan are Vietnamese: Police

Taipei, March 30 (CNA) Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said Thursday that seven of the 20 bodies recovered in recent weeks in waters around Taiwan have been identified as Vietnamese nationals. Speaking at a news conference, CIB International Criminal Affairs Division head Lee Yang-chi (???) said the identities of the seven Vietnamese -- five men and two women -- were confirmed based on a list of 14 suspected illegal boat migrants from that country and forensic evidence, with samples provided by relatives. Among the seven Vietnamese nationals, some were people who had worked in Taiwan before and were acquainted with each other, Lee said.

Between Feb.

18 and March 29, some 20 bodies were recovered in waters around the country off Taoyuan, Tainan, Yunlin, Chiayi, Changhua, Keelung, Kaohsiung, Hsinchu and Taitung. To date, nine of them have been identified as Taiwanese and seven as Vietnamese, while the other four have not yet been identified. According to Lee, the seven Vietnamese may have fallen overboard while trying to enter Taiwan illegally by boat.

Taiwan's law enforcement authorities and the Vietnam Economic and Culture Office in Taipei are jointly investigating the matter, and their efforts include tracking down human traffickers and brokers, he said.

Meanwhile, the nine Taiwanese bodies that have been recovered are unrelated to the illegal migration problem, according Lee, who speculated that they were probably people who had committed suicide or drowned by accident.

(By Flor Wang and Huang Li-yun)

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