Taiwan detains Nvidia employee in widening China chip smuggling probe

Taiwan’s prosecutors have detained an Nvidia employee in connection with the alleged illegal export of Super Micro AI servers to China, according to Bloomberg and Reuters. The Keelung District Prosecutors’ Office said Tuesday that a suspect surnamed Chang was questioned on July 24 after raids on his home and workplace, then taken into custody.

Prosecutors cited flight risk and concerns he might destroy evidence or influence witnesses. The charges include forgery and breach of trust, and investigators also searched Nvidia’s Taipei office, according to the reports. The smuggled servers contained Nvidia chips subject to US export controls. Nvidia didn’t confirm the employment relationship and told Reuters it primarily sells to established partners who ensure compliance with US rules. This is the third round of raids following operations in May and June, when three individuals and two Super Micro employees were detained.AdDEC_D_Incontent-1Ad Follow The Decoder for AI news, background stories and expert analyses.