Hong Kong (CNN) – Taiwanese authorities have said they will no longer fine a man for violating quarantine because investigators discovered he was abducted in an unfortunate case of false identity.
The man, named Chen, arrived from Hong Kong in late October and was quarantined at a friend’s home in central Nantou city, according to a statement from the Changhua branch of the Ministry of Justice’s administrative enforcement agency.
On Nov. 1 at 11 p.m., debt collectors broke in and Chen swung away against his will, mistaking him as his friend. They forced him to pay the debt and eventually returned Chen, who had suffered during the ordeal.
Local public health authorities initially fined Chen $ 3,500 for violating the quarantine order, but the case was handed over to the Justice Department to investigate the demands for forced detention.
Police have confirmed Chen’s claim and the kidnappers are now being investigated, authorities said.
Although the case is unusual, the hefty fine is not. Taiwan has imposed a series of large fines on people who quarantine violations as part of its world-class response to the pandemic.
Experts believe that Taiwan’s response to the pandemic was one of the most successful thanks to its early, decisive action – an important lesson that took the island away from the deadly outbreak of SARS.
Taiwanese authorities began investigating passengers on direct flights from Wuhan on December 31, 2019, where the virus was first identified – when the virus was mostly the subject of rumors and limited reporting, and long before Wuhan himself was locked up. By March, Taiwan had banned all foreign nationals from entering the island except diplomats, residents and those with special visas. Those who entered had to undergo quarantine.
Taiwanese police and CNN have blurred parts of the image above to protect the identity of the man.
CNN’s Beijing bureau contributed to this report.