Taiwanese gang leader and the fifth head of the Tiandao Alliance, Zeng Yingfu, was arrested on the evening of August 18 due to involvement in cross-border online gambling and money laundering, along with more than 20 of his subordinates, shaking the island's underworld. After posting bail of 3 million New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 100,000 US dollars), Zeng was released on August 20, but with restrictions on leaving the country or sea, and under strict surveillance.
Now 56 years old, Zeng Yingfu, originally a local gang leader from "Kanding" in Taipei and nicknamed "A-Fu," was imprisoned multiple times in the 1990s for drug-related offenses and extortion. In prison, he met and became a confidant of gang leader Wu Tongtan. Known for his fierce style, he was nicknamed "Iron Leopard," which later evolved to "Iron Tyrant." Zeng also led his younger brother and team in the "Tiger Brand Killer" organization, orchestrating multiple gangland assassinations and intimidation operations, with several high-level gang figures on the island being shot between 2001 and 2002.
At the end of 2002, Taiwanese police launched "Operation Hou Yi," severely damaging the Sun Society and the Tiandao Alliance. Zeng Yingfu was initially sentenced to death, but this was later commuted to 8 years in prison, and he was paroled in 2010. After his release, he made a comeback and took over as the head of the Tiandao Alliance in 2019, becoming the youngest leader in its history, with his influence extending over many young gang members.
This arrest operation is related to the cross-border online gambling group operated by Zeng's subordinates, which has long targeted high-income groups, profiting from fraudulent gambling, usury, and forced promissory notes, earning tens of millions of New Taiwan Dollars. Industry analysts believe that this large-scale crackdown on gangs is not only aimed at cutting off the financial flows of gangs but may also be related to the upcoming island elections, intended to maintain stability and investigate possible collusion between politics and business.
After the arrest of "Iron Tyrant" Zeng Yingfu, the Tiandao Alliance fell into a power vacuum, also indicating that a new round of turmoil is brewing within the island's underworld.
