Washington [US], June 10: US authorities said they arrested a Chinese scientist at an airport on charges of smuggling biological material.
AP reported on June 10 that this was the second incident in a few days involving the smuggling of biological materials. The scientist was arrested on June 8 at the Detroit airport in Michigan (USA) after departing from China .
In court filings, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said the biological samples seized involved several species of worms and required a government permit.
A few months ago, the same scientist was accused of transporting biological material to employees at a University of Michigan lab . She was pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. She planned to spend a year completing the project at the University of Michigan.
The FBI did not say whether the biological samples were dangerous, but Detroit prosecutor Jerome Gorgon Jr. said the smuggling posed a security threat. The scientist arrested on June 8 is currently in custody awaiting a hearing on June 11.
"The regulations governing the importation of biological material into the United States for research purposes are strict and clear. Such smuggling practices undermine the legitimate work of other scholars," the FBI said.
Last week, the US government charged two Chinese scientists with conspiring to smuggle a poisonous mushroom into the US. One, a scientist at the University of Michigan, is currently in custody, while the other returned to China last year.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper