Taiwan detains Nvidia worker in chip smuggling probe: source familiar with case

Prosecutors in Taiwan have detained an Nvidia employee as part of an investigation into the smuggling of the US tech giant's AI chips to China, a source familiar with the case told AFP on Tuesday.

The man was detained after investigators raided his home and workplace on July 24, Keelung District Prosecutors Office said in a statement without mentioning Nvidia.

He is suspected of offences including "the falsification of business documents under the Criminal Code", the prosecutors said in a statement.

The United States restricts exports to China of the most cutting-edge silicon chips used to power artificial intelligence systems, designed by industry leader Nvidia.

Officials said in May they were investigating the shipment of "high-end" AI servers made by Nasdaq-listed Super Micro Computer and containing advanced Nvidia chips to China, Macau and Hong Kong, in violation of US export controls.

"This Nvidia employee was identified as a person involved in the case after investigators analysed the relevant evidence following the previous round of searches targeting Super Micro," the source told AFP.

There was no immediate response from Nvidia.

Prosecutors said the detained person is "strongly suspected of having committed the offences, and that there is a risk of flight, destruction of evidence, and collusion with accomplices or witnesses".

Seven people are now being held as part of the probe, including the Nvidia employee, two from Super Micron and one from Taiwan-listed Albatron Technology.

They are accused of forging documents to ship roughly 50 servers made by Super Micro to China.

Some of the servers were cleared by Taiwan customs and sent to China via Japan, an official previously told AFP on the condition of anonymity.

Taiwan prosecutors have said it is too early to know if the case is linked to an Nvidia chip smuggling case involving Super Micro Computer employees in the United States and Singapore.

Singapore police seized a luxury bungalow this month worth more than US$40 million as part of fraud investigations linked to the alleged transfer of AI chips.

A US indictment unsealed in March showed employees of the company allegedly raked in billions of dollars diverting Nvidia AI chips to China in breach of export controls.