Latest news with #ChengxuanHan
Hindustan Times
14-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Air India crew member held for smuggling gold worth ₹1.41 crore
MUMBAI: The Mumbai zonal unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has arrested a male crew member of Air India for allegedly smuggling 1.373 kg of foreign-origin gold, valued at approximately ₹1.41 crore, into the country. Also Read: Smuggling bid foiled: Customs seize 5.75 kgs of gold, two flyers arrested According to DRI sources, the crew member was intercepted on Friday at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) shortly after arriving from New York on flight AI-116. The operation was based on specific intelligence suggesting that a syndicate was using airline crew members to smuggle gold from the United States into India. While an initial search of the crew member yielded no results, sustained questioning revealed that he had allegedly hidden a pouch containing gold bars—wrapped in black duct tape—near the baggage services area during a mandatory post-flight breathalyser test. Also Read: Who is Chengxuan Han? Chinese national accused of smuggling biological materials into US The DRI team later recovered the pouch, which held 1.373 kg of smuggled gold. In a voluntary statement, the accused reportedly admitted to having smuggled gold into India on earlier occasions as well. Based on his disclosure, DRI officials launched a follow-up operation and arrested the alleged mastermind of the smuggling network. The individual is accused of orchestrating the use of airline crew members to ferry illicit gold into the country and is also said to have confessed to his involvement. Also Read: Seven held for cow smuggling, two more nabbed in separate case Both men have been arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962. In a separate operation conducted in September 2023, the DRI had arrested six individuals—including a private airline security employee—in connection with another gold smuggling racket involving foreign-origin gold brought in through the airport. 'DRI has been consistently exposing involvement of airline personnel and ground staff in gold smuggling,' a DRI official said. Despite repeated attempts, Air India officials could not be reached for comments. When HT contacted Air India about DRI's investigation in the case, it did not get a comment.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- CBS News
2 Chinese nationals accused in separate pathogen smuggling cases appear in court
Two of the Chinese nationals charged with trying to smuggle dangerous pathogens into Michigan appeared before a judge Friday in a federal court in Detroit for detention hearings. Chengxuan Han, 28, walked in handcuffed and shackled, only answering basic questions through her Mandarin translator, but could be seen sniffling with tears falling down her face throughout the hearing. Chenqxan Han Carole Kabrin Han's original hearing was set after her public defender asked for more time to review her charging documents. They said Han's choice to remain in detention came after weighing a number of factors, including the criminal charges she faces, the impacts on her career and the language barrier. 33-year-old Yunqing Jian appeared about 30 minutes later, with her newly appointed private counsel. Initially, Jian refused to consent to being detained without bond indefinitely, speaking privately with her attorneys multiple times. Yunquing Jian Carole Kabrin After some confusion, Judge Elizabeth Stafford explained the speedy trial process, including how this gives prosecutors time to build their case and show probable cause that Jian committed the crime. Stafford also reminded Jian of her right to be able to ask for a detention hearing or a preliminary hearing at any time. She then agreed to remain detained. In the decision to keep them in custody, prosecutors said they had concerns that both women would flee the country if they were released on bond. A third Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological material into Michigan, Jian's boyfriend, 34-year-old Zunyong Liu. Liu faces charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, but authorities believe he has returned to China. After the hearings, both women's attorneys declined to offer any comment. Han's preliminary hearing is set for June 30, while Jian's is yet to be determined.
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Fox News
Chinese bio-smuggling suspect cries in court over federal detention
Two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States appeared in court Friday as federal authorities fight to keep them detained in cases they say concern "national security." University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow Yunqing Jian and Huazhong University of Science and Technology student Chengxuan Han were ordered to remain in federal custody as their separate cases remain ongoing. During the hearing, Han, who is accused of mailing packages containing biological materials to the University of Michigan's laboratory, became visibly emotional and was seen choking back tears when she learned her preliminary hearing had been pushed to a later date. In her brief detention hearing Friday, Han's attorney said her client is consenting to detention without prejudice and will remain in federal custody. "Ms. Han is presumed innocent, and we will await further proceedings to comment any further," her attorney previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Han's preliminary hearing was initially set for June 23, but was subsequently rescheduled for June 30. Both Han and Jian will remain in federal custody until their next hearings. Jian and her boyfriend, Chinese researcher Zunyong Liu, were charged this month after they first attempted to transport Fusarium graminearum, a "potential agroterrorism weapon" that can inflict dangerous health effects on humans, into the country in August 2022, prosecutors said. "The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns," interm U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. "These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme." Han was also arrested in June after allegedly mailing four packages containing undeclared biological material to individuals working in the University of Michigan's laboratory from September 2024 to March 2025, according to the criminal complaint. In the case of Jian and Liu, a WeChat conversation allegedly revealed the couple brainstorming ways to transport the substance, with Jian ultimately deciding to stash the bags in her shoes. The fungus causes a "head blight," described as a disease of wheat, maize, rice and barley, and is responsible for billions of dollars of economic losses throughout the world each year, according to the Department of Justice. If ingested by humans, the substance can cause vomiting, liver damage and "reproductive defects in humans and livestock." Friday's detention hearing lasted approximately two minutes, with Jian appearing in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed around the waist. A federal judge adjourned the hearing until next Friday due to Jian's request to seek private counsel. According to the criminal complaint, Jian initially received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen while studying at the University of Michigan and allegedly lied on her student visa application regarding her education plans in the U.S. Prosecutors allege Jian first attempted to smuggle the fungus into the U.S. in 2022, with one instance of her asking a third party to send her Fusarium graminearum in January 2024. Jian's attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. "There are usually no problems," Jian said in a message to the third person. "Rest assured. I have mailed these before." The most recent smuggling attempt allegedly occurred in July 2024, when Liu arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to visit Jian, according to authorities. Upon landing, Liu was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and subsequently searched. Authorities allegedly discovered "a wad of tissues crumpled up in a small pocket in Liu's backpack," according to the affidavit. "The tissues concealed a note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper with a series of circles drawn on it, and four clear plastic baggies with small clumps of reddish plant material inside," the affidavit said. The filter paper was sent for testing by the FBI, which revealed it contained Fusarium graminearum, according to authorities. The plastic baggies also allegedly carried material that was contaminated by the fungus, authorities said. "In addition, the laboratory identified 10 separate samples from the filter paper," the affidavit said. "Each sample had a hand drawn circle around it, and each circle was labeled with a code containing letters and/or numbers. The sample labeled '06172' was identified by the FBI laboratory to contain the DNA sequence for Fusarium graminearum." Liu allegedly denied carrying the pathogen, but later admitted to bringing it to the U.S. intentionally, officials said. He allegedly told authorities the pair planned to use the university's laboratory to conduct research. "These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety," Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. Both Jian and Liu are charged with conspiracy, making false statements, visa fraud and smuggling goods into the U.S. "As one of the world's leading public research institutions, the University of Michigan is dedicated to advancing knowledge, solving challenging problems and improving nearly every facet of the human experience," the university previously said in a statement. "We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission. It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals. We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution." Han also made an appearance in federal court Friday. She is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Authorities allege Han, a Ph.D. student at Wuhan's College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, mailed four packages containing undeclared biological materials to staff members at the University of Michigan's laboratory. Han was arrested on Sunday while traveling to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Shanghai on a J1 visa. Upon her arrival, Han was searched by CBP officers, and subsequently confronted about the packages. According to the criminal complaint, Han allegedly denied mailing the packages, but later admitted she had sent them after being pressed by authorities. Han initially told CBP officers the packages only contained plastic cups – not petri dishes – and a book, according to court documents. Han allegedly confessed to sending the packages, which contained roundworm-related biomaterials, telling FBI and Homeland Security officials that she had initially lied to CBP agents. Officers also discovered Han's electronic devices had been wiped of their content three days before her arrival in the U.S. "The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China – to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory – is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security," Gorgon said in a statement. "The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions."
Washington Post
13-06-2025
- Washington Post
2 Chinese scientists will stay in jail while accused of bringing biological material to US
DETROIT — Two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material into the United States for use at the University of Michigan will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing Friday in federal court. Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han said in separate court appearances in Detroit that they would not challenge the government's request to keep them locked up while their cases move forward.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
2 Chinese scientists will stay in jail while accused of bringing biological material to US
Two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material into the United States for use at the University of Michigan will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing Friday in federal court. Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han said in separate court appearances in Detroit that they would not challenge the government's request to keep them locked up while their cases move forward. 'This is a constantly evolving situation involving a large number of factors,' Han's attorney, Sara Garber, told a judge. She didn't elaborate and later declined to comment. Han was arrested Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. She planned to spend a year completing a project at the University of Michigan lab, and is accused of shipping biological material months ago to laboratory staff. It was intercepted by authorities. The FBI, in a court filing, said the material is related to worms and lacked a government permit. Experts told The Associated Press it didn't appear to be dangerous. Jian's case is different. She is charged with conspiring with her boyfriend, another scientist from China, to bring a toxic fungus into the U.S. Fusarium graminearum can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice. The boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was turned away at the Detroit airport last July and sent back to China after authorities found red plant material in his backpack. Jian, who worked at the university lab, was arrested June 2. Messages between Jian and Liu in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the lab before Liu was caught at the airport, the FBI said. Jian's attorneys declined to comment Friday. Federal authorities so far have not alleged that the scientists had a plan to unleash the fungus somewhere. Fusarium graminearum is already prevalent in the U.S. — particularly in the east and Upper Midwest — and scientists have been studying it for decades. Nicknamed 'vomitoxin' because it's most known for causing livestock to throw up, it can also cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and fever in animals and people. Researchers often bring foreign plants, animals and even strains of fungi to the U.S. to study them, but they must file certain permits before moving anything across state or national borders. The university has not been accused of misconduct. It said it has received no money from the Chinese government related to the work of the three scientists. In a statement, it said it strongly condemns any actions that 'seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university's critical public mission.'
