Another Chinese scientist arrested for smuggling biological material into US
What's the story
A Chinese scientist was arrested on Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the United States, authorities said.
Chengxuan Han, who was pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, reportedly shipped unauthorized biological materials to staff at a University of Michigan laboratory months ago.
Han is the third Chinese scientist to be charged with smuggling illegal biological materials into Michigan in just days.
Interception details
Shipments intercepted last year and earlier this year
Han's shipments, including an envelope stuffed inside a book, were intercepted last year and earlier this year.
They were subsequently opened by authorities, the FBI said. In a court filing, the FBI identified it as material related to certain worms that requires a government permit.
The court filing does not specify whether the FBI believes the biological material was dangerous.
However, US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr warned that smuggling "threatens our security."
Legal proceedings
Han remains in custody
"The guidelines for importing biological materials...for research purposes are stringent....actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars," John Nowak, who leads field operations at Customs and Border Protection, added.
Han remains in custody and is awaiting a bond hearing on Wednesday.
Michael Shapira, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who read the court filing, said, "It doesn't strike me as something that is dangerous in any way. But there are rules to ship biological material."
Import regulations
Charges against 2 other Chinese scientists
Last week, the government charged two other Chinese scientists accused of conspiring to smuggle a toxic fungus into the US.
Yunqing Jian, 33, and her partner Zunyong Liu, 34, were arrested last year after allegedly attempting to smuggle samples of a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the US, according to the FBI.
Jian, a lab researcher at the University of Michigan, received Chinese government financing for her studies.
Liu was sent back to China last year, while Jian remains in custody.