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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Police motorbike mystery solved
Two men ride a motorbike in Ramadi, Iraq, on March 20. Photo: AP
EAGLE EYES: Netizens who read a sticker on a picture of a scooter in Iraq said the free advertising was beneficial, while others expressed concerns over national security
/ Staff writer, with CNA
A photograph of policemen riding a scooter in Ramadi, Iraq, has drawn media attention in Taiwan, as the vehicle is believed to be a motorcycle from the Changhua County police department.
An Associated Press photograph released on March 20 shows two men riding a white scooter that has a sticker on the front with Chinese characters that read: “Changhua County Police Department Patrol Motorcycle.”
The photograph was widely reported by local media outlets.
However, Changhua Police Department logistics officer Hsiao Chi-tung （蕭啟東） yesterday said the scooter, manufactured by Kwang Yang Motor Co, was one of 358 motorbikes the department put up for auction in 2014.
A company purchased the vehicle for scrap, Hsiao said, adding that he suspects the company might have resold the bikes or their parts in other nations, where they were reassembled.
“This could be why it has appeared in Iraq,” said Hsiao, rejecting speculation that the scooter was a stolen police motorcycle sold overseas.
While some Taiwanese netizens said the photograph was a commercial for Taiwan and an alternative method of showcasing national products, others expressed concern that Islamic State group militants might mistake the photograph as proof of Taiwanese aid to the Iraqi government.
Asked why such stickers are not removed before the bikes were auctioned, Hsiao said the police do not normally handle equipment that is set to be discarded.
“It could be possible that the buyer did not notice the sticker or did not regard it as a problem,” he said.
The department said in a statement that in the future when it prepares police motorcycles or cars for redistribution, it will make sure that all stickers or markings denoting its designation are removed.
Taiwan’s Kwang Yang yesterday said that foreigners can buy its products through international distributors.
Kwang Yang said that it has production facilities in Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines and China, and exports more than 200,000 motorcycles every year.
The company said it has retail outlets in Japan, Luxembourg, the UK, Germany and the US, and distributors in various other nations.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
