Taiwan reports just over 40% indictment rate in human trafficking probes

The Ministry of Justice released a report covering human-trafficking investigations from 2021 through 2025, noting that 3,401 individuals were examined, with labor exploitation accounting for the largest portion. Only 41% of those investigated faced indictment, while another 41.4% were not charged, and 0.8% received deferred prosecution. Insufficient evidence was cited in 95.9% of the non-prosecution decisions.

The number of sex-trafficking investigations climbed from 168 to 309 over the period, whereas organ-harvesting cases consistently yielded fewer than 70 indictments each year. Of the indicted, 35.5% were charged with offenses against personal freedom, 25.7% with breaches of the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act, and 14.2% with violations of the Human Trafficking Prevention Act. In a related case, the Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office indicted seven suspects for attempting to lure three victims to China for organ harvesting, seeking seven-year prison terms. Prosecutors warned the public against trusting online job offers that could lead to dangerous illegal activities.