Head Prosecutor SONG, WEN-HONG and Prosecutor XU, HONG-BIN of the Kaohsiung Prosecutors Office commanded the Investigation and Prevention Team of the Investigation Branch, Coast Guard Administration, (the Investigation and Prevention Squad) to investigate the killings on the Indian Ocean. The investigation has ended that the Chinese defendant Wang violated the Criminal Law Article 271, section 1 (murder), as well as the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act, Article 7, section 4 (possess firearms without approval) and Article 12, section 4 (possess bullets without approval). The detained defendant is indicted and will be transferred to the court along with the case.

First and foremost, “PING XIN 101” is a fishing boat registered in Taiwan Kaohsiung City; accordingly, Kaohsiung Prosecutors Office have jurisdiction over this case. Defendant Wang was employed by PING XIN Fishery Co., Ltd. from June 15^th 2011 to June 15^th 2014, worked as Chief Officer and Deputy Captain on “PING XIN 101” (which sank in the Indian Ocean in July 2014). The ship docked for supplies in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in July 2012, where two Pakistanians (being wanted) was hired as mercenaries. Defendant Wang agreed that the two Pakistanians carried three Chinese manufactured semi-automatic rifles and a bunch of bullets to board the ship, in order to maintain the safety of “PING XIN 101” when the ship is fishing outside the territorial sea of Taiwan (R.O.C). At about 12 pm on September 29^th 2012, while “PING XIN 101”, together with “Chun Yi 217” and two other fishing boats of unknown nationality, were fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean, about 321 miles from southeast of Mogadishu, Somalia, they encountered a wooden ship carrying 4 pirates with guns . Defendant Wang, with an intent of homicide, instructed two Pakistani mercenaries to fire at the 4 pirates with semi-automatic rifles, after the fishing boat with unknown nationality capsized the wooden ship, letting the 4 pirates fallen into the sea. The 4 pirates died after being shot.

This case was originated in an online video called “Fishing vessel Fijian crew getting shot outside fijiwaters” in August 2014, which aroused the attention of international media and public opinion. Since the image of “Chun Yi 217” appeared in the video, there is a likelihood that Taiwanese or Taiwanese fishing boat had committed the crime. After receiving the information, 3 prosecutors successively commanded the Investigation and Prevention Squad and the Taipei Investigation Squad, the Offshore Flotilla 5 (Kaohsiung), the Offshore Flotilla 2 (Tamshui), and the Taipei Branch 2^nd Squad to start the case. After years of investigation, defendant Wang has been found with great suspicion. He has been wanted since the end of 2016 due to a fail to subpoena and arrest with a Warrant. On the morning of August 22^nd 2020, defendant Wang arrived at Pier 53 of Kaohsiung Port, and was arrested by the police immediately. He was on “the Star of India”, a fishing boat of Seychelles. After being interrogated by the prosecutor, he has been detained by the court on the request of the prosecutor.

The prosecutor in charge of this case considers that although defendant Wang instructed mercenaries to fire at the pirates, which was indeed a cruel and brutal act, it was the 4 suspected pirates in the wooden ship fired first. Defendant Wang was preventing the pirates from being rescued by their accomplices, that could be gather more pirates and attacking ships to retaliate and hijack the fishing boat, and endanger “PING XIN 101” and its crew. Considering a dilemma like this, the prosecutor suggests the court impose an appropriate punishment to defendant Wang.