TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An Yilan County man was arrested and placed in a detention center on Tuesday (Aug. 23) for failing to pay a NT$1 million (US$33,000) fine for violating COVID-19 quarantine rules in 2020.

According to a press release issued by the Administrative Enforcement Agency’s Yilan Branch on Wednesday (Aug. 24), the 34-year-old man, surnamed Tseng (曾), vacationed in the Philippines in February 2020 and returned in July of the same year. He was required at the time by COVID-19 quarantine rules to isolate at home for 14 days.

However, he ate out one to two times a day and “spent nights out with friends” from the fourth day after his return. As his violation of the quarantine rules was serious, the bureau slapped him with a NT$1 million fine.

Tseng did not pay his fine on time, so he was referred to the enforcement agency, which proceeded to seize his savings, salary, insurance, and other assets. However, the value of all the items seized was not enough to pay the fine.

Tseng later agreed to pay for the remainder of the fine by installments, which obligated him to pay NT$360,000 a year in 12 installments of NT$30,000 a month, the enforcement agency’s Yilan branch said. He stopped paying after having paid NT$120,000 and disappeared in December last year.

The branch requested the district court to issue a warrant for Tseng’s arrest, which was granted.

Tseng was arrested on Tuesday at his home. After questioning, the branch held that Tseng had a job and the means to pay back the fine, but he chose not to do so by hiding and disposing of his assets as well as making false financial statements. Therefore, the branch requested the court for a warrant to detain Tseng, which was also granted.

Tseng was sent to a detention center affiliated with the Yilan Prison on Tuesday.