Taiwan Prosecutors Detain Nvidia Staffer In China AI Chip Smuggling Probe

Prosecutors in Taiwan detained an Nvidia employee as part of an investigation into alleged smuggling of AI servers into China—which were powered by Nvidia’s advanced chips in violation of U.S. export controls—according to multiple reports on Tuesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, Keelung District Prosecutors Office identified the suspect by his surname, Chang, and said he was summoned for questioning after investigators searched his residence and workplace last week.

The statement didn’t mention Chang’s employer’s name, but Bloomberg and Reuters reported they are an Nvidia employee and the search targeted the chipmaker’s Taipei office.

The statement added that after the questioning, the prosecutors determined there was a “strong suspicion of criminal activity” and Chang was detained amid concerns they could flee, destroy evidence or collude with accomplices.

The prosecutor’s statement does not accuse Nvidia or any other company of wrongdoing but notes that the detained employee is suspected of multiple criminal offenses, including falsification of documents.

Forbes has reached out to Nvidia for comment.

As part of the probe, Taiwanese authorities detained several individuals in May and June—including several employees of Super Micro—a major server manufacturer which uses Nvidia’s AI chips.

The detentions in Taiwan were made two months after the U.S. Justice Department charged and arrested a co-founder of Super Micro in a separate case alleging he and others had helped smuggle billions of dollars worth Nvidia AI chips to China.

In March, the DOJ announced it had charged three people, including Super Micro co-founder Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, with one count of violating U.S. export control law, one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the U.S. and one count of conspiring to defraud the U.S. The Justice Department alleged that the trio had conspired to illegally divert advanced servers assembled in the U.S. with sophisticated American AI chips to China. Liaw, who is a U.S. citizen, was one of the two people arrested. According to the prosecutors, the three men sold servers equipped with cutting-edge Nvidia AI chips—which are subject to export controls—to China through a Southeast Asian company. The alleged smuggling generated $2.5 billion in revenue for Super Micro. The server maker noted that it was not named as a defendant in the case and said the alleged conduct by the three individuals violated the company’s “policies and compliance controls.” The company also said it had placed Liaw and another staffer on administrative leave and severed ties with the contractor who was charged as part of the probe.

In a statement shared with Bloomberg, an unnamed Nvidia spokesperson said smuggling was a “nonstarter” for the company and the company sells its products to well-known partners to ensure compliance with export control rules. The spokesperson also said any diverted chips would receive “no service, support or updates.”