Taiwan increased security for presidential election candidates Wednesday after a gun scare around opposition hopeful Tsai Ing-wen who is vying to be the island’s first female president, police said. Officers in the central city of Taichung arrested a man after they found him sitting with the weapon in his car, parked along a route planned for Tsai’s campaign motorcade, police said. The man, identified as 34-year-old Tai Kuo-feng, explained that the gun, a potentially lethal modified air gun, was for sports purposes, and he was later released, according to police.
“An initial investigation showed the suspect had no political affiliation,” Lee Chen-liang, a Taichung police captain, told AFP.
The incident — happening just days ahead of Saturday’s presidential vote — sent jitters through the police force, and immediately led to a decision to boost security for the candidates.
Full Article: Security scare hits Taiwan election | My Sinchew.