US reports the arrest of another Chinese scientist with no permit to send biological material

DETROIT (AP) — A Chinese scientist was arrested while arriving in the U.S. at the Detroit airport, the second case in days involving the alleged smuggling of biological material, authorities said Monday.

The scientist is accused of shipping biological material months ago to staff at a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The FBI, in a court filing, described it as material related to certain worms and requires a government permit.

“The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars,” said John Nowak, who leads field operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The scientist was interviewed and arrested Sunday 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.

Her shipments, including an envelope stuffed inside a book, were intercepted last year and earlier this year and opened by authorities, the FBI said.

The court filing doesn’t indicate whether the FBI believes the biological material was risky, though U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said smuggling “threatens our security.”

The scientist remains in custody awaiting a bond hearing Wednesday.

“It doesn’t strike me as something that is dangerous in any way. But there are rules to ship biological material,” said Michael Shapira, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who read the court filing and spoke to The Associated Press.

The government last week charged two Chinese scientists who are accused of conspiring to smuggle a toxic fungus into the U.S. One was turned around at the Detroit airport and sent back to China last year, while the other, a researcher at the University of Michigan, was arrested. She remains in custody.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

More Articles