Chinese man arrested for smuggling thermal cameras
A Hong Kong man has been arrested in Toronto after a joint FBI-RCMP probe into an alleged scheme to skirt U.S. security laws that prevent the smuggling of sensitive military technology to China.
Authorities allege the plan involved the illegal purchase of 12 infrared thermal imaging cameras from a company in Dayton, Ohio, and their delivery to the Chinese man — Hing Shing Lau — via Canada.
Lau's June 3 arrest at the Toronto airport, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice, was carried out by the RCMP and Canadian immigration authorities under an international warrant.
An indictment filed Tuesday in Ohio states the thermal imaging cameras involved in the case are controlled under U.S. export laws "for national security and regional stability reasons because of the cameras' potential use in a wide variety of civilian and military applications, including: unmanned vehicle payloads, weapon sights, security and surveillance products, and others."
The indictment, released by the southern Ohio district of the Justice Department, charges Lau with two counts of violating U.S. export control laws, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. He also faces four counts of money laundering, with each count punishable by 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $500,000.
The indictment details how Lau is alleged to have negotiated the illicit transaction over the past year, culminating with a planned face-to-face handover of the restricted technology at Canada's largest airport.
"Hang Shing Lau arranged to personally meet" his unnamed Ohio contact "inside Canada for the purpose of physically transferring possession" of the cameras "and discussing future strategies and tactics to circumvent United States export-control laws," the indictment states.
Lau was arrested with $30,000 in cash in his possession, U.S. officials said.
Sgt. Marc LaPorte, the RCMP's spokesman in Ontario, told Canwest News Service that Lau's arrest "went down without incident — he was not expecting to be arrested."
The suspect is being held at a Toronto detention centre pending the outcome of a bid by U.S. officials to have him sent to the States to face prosecution.
"Our office is currently taking the necessary steps to extradite Lau to the U.S. to face charges," Gregory Lockhart, U.S. Attorney for the southern district of Ohio, said in a statement in which he commended the RCMP and Canadian immigration officials for their help in arresting Lau.
Source: www.vancouversun.com
Infrared Thermal Imaging
Authorities allege the plan involved the illegal purchase of 12 infrared thermal imaging cameras from a company in Dayton, Ohio, and their delivery to the Chinese man — Hing Shing Lau — via Canada.
Lau's June 3 arrest at the Toronto airport, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice, was carried out by the RCMP and Canadian immigration authorities under an international warrant.
An indictment filed Tuesday in Ohio states the thermal imaging cameras involved in the case are controlled under U.S. export laws "for national security and regional stability reasons because of the cameras' potential use in a wide variety of civilian and military applications, including: unmanned vehicle payloads, weapon sights, security and surveillance products, and others."
The indictment, released by the southern Ohio district of the Justice Department, charges Lau with two counts of violating U.S. export control laws, each of which is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1 million. He also faces four counts of money laundering, with each count punishable by 20 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $500,000.
The indictment details how Lau is alleged to have negotiated the illicit transaction over the past year, culminating with a planned face-to-face handover of the restricted technology at Canada's largest airport.
"Hang Shing Lau arranged to personally meet" his unnamed Ohio contact "inside Canada for the purpose of physically transferring possession" of the cameras "and discussing future strategies and tactics to circumvent United States export-control laws," the indictment states.
Lau was arrested with $30,000 in cash in his possession, U.S. officials said.
Sgt. Marc LaPorte, the RCMP's spokesman in Ontario, told Canwest News Service that Lau's arrest "went down without incident — he was not expecting to be arrested."
The suspect is being held at a Toronto detention centre pending the outcome of a bid by U.S. officials to have him sent to the States to face prosecution.
"Our office is currently taking the necessary steps to extradite Lau to the U.S. to face charges," Gregory Lockhart, U.S. Attorney for the southern district of Ohio, said in a statement in which he commended the RCMP and Canadian immigration officials for their help in arresting Lau.
Source: www.vancouversun.com
Infrared Thermal Imaging
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