Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior said on 31 October that a self-audit had found 32 drones made by Taichung-based Align Corp. across three of its agencies. The case began when Army acceptance inspectors disassembled training drones and found chips marked "CN"; Taichung prosecutors have detained founder Du Ta-sen and his wife incommunicado on suspicion of National Security Act violations. The "100 per cent non-red" supply-chain policy that Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim set out the day before is now being tested in the government's own procurement practice.
The immigration agency's 30 drones and contractual damages
According to the ministry, the National Immigration Agency's open tender this year, worth about NT$2.75 million (US$84,000), was won by a reseller that planned to supply 30 Align units; because none had been delivered, the ministry barred delivery of Align or any China-linked product and will claim damages under the contract. The National Park Service and the Central Police University each bought one Align drone in 2025, now under verification. The ministry said all government drone purchases must meet "non-red supply chain" rules and that it "does not rule out seeking compensation" from vendors.
From an Army teardown to a criminal case
The case originated in Army acceptance inspections. Reports say the Army disassembled deliveries under at least two training-drone contracts worth more than NT$8 million in total, found chips stamped "CN", and prosecutors suspect a second batch as well. Taichung prosecutors searched Align in mid-October and questioned six people, and a court approved the incommunicado detention of Du and his wife. The deputy chief prosecutor said "the case was reported by the military's own inspection and the investigation is continuing".
Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on 30 October that "the Army is still checking" and asked prosecutors to share evidence. Whether the chips are actually Chinese-made remains a suspicion in the reporting, and no backdoor enabling interception or remote control has been reported. Experts are calling for firmware and communications-module checks in addition to verifying markings.
A test of whether the supply-chain policy bites
Align, founded in 1984 and known for its T-REX radio-controlled helicopters, is the kind of firm the domestic drone-industry policy was meant to nurture. Earlier 2026 cases involving Aeroprobing and Jinming Industrial have also been reported, so whether to standardise teardown inspections and how far to demand component origin certificates will ripple across government procurement. The opening of the Global UAV Academy the day before and Czech firms' plans for assembly lines (see briefs) point to supply-chain diversification, while the damages and criminal consequences of a violation will shape domestic manufacturers' investment decisions.
Sources
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MOI finds 32 Align drones in three agencies amid chip probe
Source checked 1 Nov 2026
Focus Taiwan (CNA) · External site - 4
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AI & Security Observatory（2026-10-31）「台湾内政部、亞拓製無人機32機を3機関で確認 陸軍の受入検査が「非紅供給網」違反疑いの端緒」『AI & Security Observatory』、第1.0版、最終更新2026-11-01。https://ai-security-observatory.org/ja/brief/brief-20261101-02/
AI & Security Observatory (2026-10-31). Taiwan's Interior Ministry finds 32 Align drones across three agencies as an Army acceptance inspection triggers a "non-red supply chain" case . AI & Security Observatory, version 1.0. Updated 2026-11-01. https://ai-security-observatory.org/en/brief/brief-20261101-02/
Version 1.0 · Publication date 31 Oct 2026 · Updated 1 Nov 2026
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