Hualien, January 28, 2026
A man in his 50s surnamed Lin from Hualien has finally paid off a hefty drunk-driving fine after enforcement authorities discovered and froze a sudden multi-million-dollar deposit in his bank account.
According to the Hualien Branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency under the Ministry of Justice, Lin has a long history of drunk driving, having been caught at least five or six times in the past. In June last year, he was stopped by police on Provincial Highway 9 in Xincheng Township while riding a motorcycle under the influence of alcohol and without a valid license. As a repeat offender, he was fined NT$450,000 under Article 35, Paragraph 3 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act.
Lin initially applied to pay the fine in 18 installments of NT$25,000 each. However, after making payments for only five installments, he stopped paying altogether. As a result, the Hualien Motor Vehicles Office transferred the case to the Hualien Branch for compulsory enforcement.
Enforcement officers conducted a review of Lin’s financial status and initially found that his bank accounts held only a few hundred to a few thousand New Taiwan dollars. Despite this, officials continued to closely monitor his financial activity. Recently, they discovered that a large sum—amounting to tens of millions of New Taiwan dollars—had been deposited into his account. Authorities promptly issued a seizure order earlier this month, freezing the funds.
Once Lin realized he could no longer access his account, he immediately appeared at the Hualien Branch seeking to negotiate installment payments. However, enforcement officials determined that his financial situation was sufficient for a lump-sum payment and rejected his request. The fine was subsequently collected in full, successfully returning the overdue funds to the national treasury.
The Hualien Branch stressed that drunk driving remains a serious public safety issue, often resulting in injuries, fatalities, and irreparable harm to families. Driving under the influence, officials said, is widely condemned by society and regarded as a major public danger.
With the Lunar New Year approaching and social gatherings becoming more frequent, the Hualien Branch has launched a special enforcement campaign targeting drunk-driving cases. Authorities urged the public to refrain from drinking and driving to avoid endangering lives and facing severe legal and financial consequences.