TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Interior Minister Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said fraud is a major source of youth crime on Thursday after the government announced NT$7.6 billion ($232 million) in funding for a new juvenile delinquency prevention program.

The National Police agency will manage the program aiming to “protect future national leaders,” Liu said in a ministry release. She said fraud has become a major crime among those aged 15 to 18 and new approaches are needed to prevent this.

According to a report from the police agency, there were 1,788 cases of youths committing fraud in 2023, making it the most common juvenile crime. There were 8,949 cases of youth crime overall in the same year.

While announcing the new program, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the funding will be disbursed between this year and 2028 targeting counseling programs and inter-agency cooperation, per CNA. He said this will help disadvantaged 15 to 18-year-olds who are likely to be lured by gangs to commit crimes.

Cho also asked his deputy and other senior Cabinet ministers to discuss establishing a new police unit to deal with the issue. He said they were also asked to plan strategies for youth crime prevention, career guidance, health care, and other services to support young people.