US Detains Chinese Scientist for ‘Smuggling’ Biological Material From Wuhan

A Chinese scientist has been detained by U.S. authorities, accused of smuggling biological materials into the country from the city of Wuhan, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday.

Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has been charged in a criminal complaint with smuggling goods into the United States and making false statements.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. for comment by email.

Why It Matters

Han is the third Chinese national in recent days to be accused of smuggling biological materials into the country. On June 3, the DOJ said two Chinese nationals had allegedly smuggled in a fungus known as Fusarium graminearum, which causes a disease called “head blight.” It infects major staple crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

The DOJ did not specify what biological material Han allegedly smuggled into the U.S., but said it was “related to roundworms.”

What To Know

Han, a doctoral student at the College of Life Science and Technology at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa, which is issued to people taking part in academic exchange programs, from Shanghai on Sunday.

She is accused of sending four packages from China to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan last year and this year containing “concealed biological material.”

Han was detained was arrested after Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an inspection. The DOJ said Han made false statements during questioning about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States.

“Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to roundworms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection,” the DOJ said.

Investigators also said Han deleted the contents of her electronic device three days before she landed in the U.S.

“A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. [A] trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment,” the DOJ said.

Last week, the DOJ accused Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, of smuggling in Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), which the department described as a “potential agroterrorism weapon.” They were arrested and face charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the country, false statements, and visa fraud.

FHB already poses a major threat to U.S. agriculture, causing nearly $3 billion in damage since the 1990s, Cornell University’s Kerik Cox previously told Newsweek. Cox said that “strains of Fusarium graminearum can vary widely in aggressiveness.”

What People Are Saying

United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. said in a statement: “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. The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”

Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement: “The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people.

“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nation’s research institutions.

CBP acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak said in a statement: “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.

“We will not tolerate the smuggling of regulated biological materials through our ports of entry, and this interdiction is another recent example of our commitment—along with that of our law enforcement partners—to preventing potentially dangerous goods from harming the American people.”