World News | United States: FBI arrests two people for opening a police station for the Chinese Ministry of Public Security

washington [US]April 18 (ANI): The Voice of America (VOA) reported that two New York City residents were arrested by the FBI on Monday on charges of illegally operating a secret police station for the Chinese Ministry of Public Security near the city’s Chinatown.

The station, one of more than 100 China operates around the world, ostensibly to help its citizens renew documents such as driver’s licenses, allegedly has a more sinister purpose: to spy on and harass Chinese activists and dissidents in the United States. The political activist, as part of what U.S. prosecutors have called China a “transnational repression” campaign.

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U.S. citizens and leaders of Chinatown nonprofits Harry Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping were arrested Monday morning on charges of conspiring to act as agents of the Chinese government and obstructing justice by destroying evidence of their communications with Chinese security agents, according to a VOA official. reports.

The first charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while the second charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

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The men made their first court appearance Monday afternoon.

In two other related plans unveiled Monday, prosecutors accused 34 officials of China’s Ministry of Public Security of creating thousands of fake online personas to threaten and harass dissidents in China, and charged another group of six Chinese public security officers with China – Employees at videoconferencing provider Zoom are directed to remove Chinese dissidents from the company’s platform.

The technology executive, Julien Jin, was first charged in 2020, VOA reported.

The charges were announced by senior New York law enforcement officials amid rising tensions between China and the United States over a range of issues, from Beijing’s claim to Taiwan to China’s transnational crackdown, VOA reported.

China’s foreign ministry has in the past described the sites as “service centers” serving citizens around the world.

The existence of the New York outpost came to light in September 2022 after Spain-based human rights organization Safeguard Defenders published an investigative report on its network of dozens of sites around the world, saying it was part of China’s “growing transnational repression.” . “

The New York Post last year identified the charity as the American Changle Association New York Inc., and said it owns and operates the so-called police station above a noodle shop in Chinatown, according to Voice of America.

Lu, who has a family in China, has a “longstanding relationship of trust” with the Chinese government, U.S. prosecutors said.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in 2015, Lu allegedly participated in counter-protests against members of Falun Gong, a religious movement banned in China.

In 2018, he was recruited by Chinese security officials to assist the return of an alleged Chinese fugitive; in 2022, he was asked to locate a democracy activist living in California, according to VOA.

According to the charging documents, FBI agents executed a search warrant at a Chinese police station in October and seized Lu and Chen’s cellphones.

In interviews with the FBI, the two admitted that they deleted communications with their primary liaison at the Ministry of Public Security after learning of the federal investigation.

In addition to Lu and Chen, five other members of the Chinatown nonprofit also supported the police department’s actions, according to the criminal complaint.

None of them are registered with the Justice Department as agents of a foreign government, suggesting that more arrests and charges are likely in connection with cases of illegal operation of police departments.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matt Olson said in a statement that China’s efforts went far beyond acceptable nation-state behavior.

“We will resolutely defend the liberty of all people living in our country from the threat of authoritarian repression,” he said.

In its latest report in December 2022, Safeguards stated that it has 102 Chinese Overseas Police Service Centers in 53 countries around the world.

U.S. law enforcement officials declined to comment on whether China operates other radio stations in the United States.

But Safeguard Defenders said its research indicated a second Chinese police station in Los Angeles. (Arnie)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)