Suspect in execution-style murder extradited from China: suffers seizure during COVID test

A suspect who fled to China just hours after he allegedly shot and killed a man in New Taipei City collapsed and went into convulsions during a COVID test at the airport, just minutes after he was extradited back to Taiwan.

Huang Yung-chun, is wanted in connection with the murder of 45-year-old coffee merchant Ho Ming-hsun. Ho was gunned down in front of his family home in Xindian District on the morning of November 22.

The police forensic investigation found that Ho died from two gunshot wounds to his neck, fired at close range from behind in an execution-style killing.

By the evening of November 22, police had identified Huang as the suspect in the murder case, only to find that Huang had boarded a flight to Xiamen, China, in the early afternoon.

According to the police investigation, Huang displayed meticulous planning in preparation, execution, and flight from the scene of the crime.

Huang’s plan included having a COVID-19 test in the days before he allegedly committed the crime, so that he could present a certificate before checking in for his pre-booked flight at noon, less than four hours after the shooting.

However, just like anyone else arriving in any other country in 2021, Huang had to hole up in a quarantine hotel after his arrival in Xiamen City. By the morning of November 23, Taiwan police knew precisely which hotel Huang was staying at.

Police in Taiwan made a formal request to their counterparts in China, asking them to arrest and extradite the suspect back to Taiwan.

Taiwan and China signed a pact in 2009 in an effort to cooperate in fighting cross-strait crime. Both China and Taiwan have extradited wanted suspects and convicted criminals to each other’s jurisdictions on the basis of that agreement.

However, since 2016, relations have become more tenuous; and attempts by Taiwan to have a man extradited from Hong Kong, after a murder in Taipei City in 2018, led to a series of Beijing-orchestrated legal and political maneuvers that ended in a tragic disaster.

The “special” in “Special Administrative Region” was rendered meaningless in the territory of Hong Kong, and thus ended an era of democracy and liberty of the people in the once proud city-state.

When Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau made the request to authorities in China for Huang’s arrest and extradition, a long silence followed.

Finally, Tuesday, December 7, the People’s Republic of China Taiwan Affairs Office announced that Huang had confessed to the crime after being interrogated by the Xiamen police. The Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson said that Huang would be extradited to Taiwan in order to combat violent crimes, “protect the safety of people’s lives and property on both sides of the strait,” and “maintain the order of cross-strait exchanges.”

Officers of Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau flew to Xiamen and took Huang into custody on the morning of December 8, in preparation for a flight expected to arrive mid-afternoon.

At Songshan Airport in Taipei City, CIB police wearing surgical masks and full-combat gear, including visored helmets mounted with multiple cameras, bullet-proof vests, and carrying assault rifles, waited for the much-anticipated arrival. But then it was announced that Huang’s flight had been delayed, due to COVID measures, and something to do with disinfection.

The flight was rescheduled to arrive at 5:40 pm, and finally arrived at 6:33 pm.

The heavily guarded suspect then collapsed during a nasopharyngeal test for COVID-19, and rushed to Taipei City Hospital at 7:20 pm. A CIB spokesperson said that Huang had a medical history of epilepsy, and was suspected to have suffered from an epileptic seizure.

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