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Chinese Fugitive Could Face Canadian Criminal Charges
A Chinese fugitive, suspected of being a smuggling kingpin in his homeland, is being investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police police for alleged criminal activities, Canadian officials revealed Thursday, December 21.
Lai Changxing and his wife, Tsang Mingna, made their third appearance before a Canadian adjudicator Thursday where immigration officers argued during a detention review hearing that they be kept in jail because they are a flight risk.
Immigration officer Esta Resnick also revealed that Lai, who is alleged to be the mastermind behind China's largest ever corruption and smuggling case, is now the subject of a Canadian police probe.
Lai, who has not been charged with any crimes in Canada, was arrested on an immigration warrant outside a casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario on November 23.
Tsang was arrested the same day at the couple's Vancouver-area flat.
Resnick opened the proceedings by asking immigration adjudicator Leanne King to limit the amount of cross examination by Lai's lawyers against two police officers who were to testify Thursday at the hearing, which is held every 30 days.
"There is an ongoing police investigation involving informants," said Resnick.
Lai's lawyers argued for the release of the couple on the grounds they are not a danger to the public and they want to settle in Canada as refugees.
They want King to release the pair despite the fact two separate adjudicators have already turned down their application.
King is expected to make her ruling in the next few days.
China alleges Lai is the ringleader of a massive corruption and smuggling operation that raked in US$6.6 billion worth of smuggled goods in the 1990s.
China has already sentenced 14 officials and employees of Lai's Yuanhua Group to death for their roles in the operation which according to court documents involved the smuggling of cigarettes, luxury goods, oil, diesel and cars.
Lai had been under surveillance since his arrival in Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police claim he has links to organized crime including associating with Chinese snakeheads or people-smuggling gangs.
Lai arrived in Canada 15 months ago and was accepted as a refugee applicant on September 23.
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