Taiwan's police have swept up hundreds of illegal money and gambling cases before the 2026 local elections, a warning shot aimed at criminal groups and anyone trying to buy influence at the ballot box.

• A nine-day nationwide operation caught 17 illegal money cases, including money laundering fronts and underground currency exchanges.
• Police also broke up 408 gambling cases involving more than a thousand people, with total betting reaching billions of Taiwan dollars.
• Two cases involved betting on election results, a practice that can be used to move dirty money and sway voters.
• The laundering rings alone pushed the equivalent of hundreds of millions of Taiwan dollars through their books.

Outlook: Police say the sweeps will continue and get tougher as the local elections approach, with more focus on foreign money trying to enter Taiwanese politics.