National Police Agency Director-General Chen Ja-chin will step down on Thursday after a four-year, nine-month tenure. He surprised political observers last week when he filed for early retirement. His request was approved on Wednesday by the Executive Yuan. He will be succeeded by Huang Ming-chao, the head of Kaohsiung police.

Sixty-year-old Huang Ming-chao is a seasoned officer who got his start in Keelung. He''s served as chief of police in Yunlin County and Keelung City, as well as commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Bureau. He led the crackdown on multiple high-profile crimes, including the infamous "raincoat robberies" .