Taiwan-listed drone supplier accused of using Chinese chips in military drones, two executives detained

Oct 11, 2026

Taiwan has detained two executives of a publicly traded drone maker over claims it built banned Chinese parts into drones sold to the military — bad news for the company and for confidence in Taiwan's defense supply chain.

  • Prosecutors in Taoyuan say Chin Ming Industrial and a subsidiary put Chinese-made chips and camera lenses into military drones, then handed the army fake certificates of origin to pass inspection.
  • Investigators raided the company, its subsidiary, a supplier and homes of staff, and questioned employees and a witness.
  • A court ordered the deputy chairman, who also runs the company, and its sales director held for two months with no visitors or contact, citing the risk they would coordinate stories with others involved.
  • Charges center on Taiwan's national security law, which bars delivering Chinese-made goods into military purchases, plus fraud and filing false documents.
  • The judge noted the volume of sales to the military, saying the practice looked repeated rather than one-off.

Outlook: The investigation is still open and more people may be charged, while the military faces pressure to recheck drones it already bought.

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