Taiwanese authorities have launched a massive operation against 16 Chinese-funded companies suspected of stealing the country's chip industry secrets through illegal 'fishing' activities for skilled workers.
The Justice Ministry's Investigation Bureau said more than 100 officers were responsible for searching 70 locations across the island and questioning 120 individuals between July 15 and August 6.
Among those being investigated are Apple's main supplier, Goertek, and US-listed company, VNET Group.
The Hsinchu County Prosecutor's Office revealed that the companies involved used a variety of highly dangerous infiltration methods to obtain critical technology.
Intelligence information suggests that the effort was masterminded by mainland Chinese companies that want to accelerate the development of advanced chips for artificial intelligence (AI).
Taiwan produces more than half of the world's chips and almost all of the high-tech chips, making it a prime target in the global technology race.
Earlier this year, the Taiwanese government placed Huawei and China's largest chipmaker, SMIC, on an export blacklist. The move requires local companies to seek government approval before shipping high-tech products to any of the entities on the list.
Authorities said the investigation was ongoing and that the case was just one of about 25 to 30 similar cases opened each year.
