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US arrests two Chinese nationals in US$73 million crypto scam
International desk
21 May 2024, 18:26
Photo: Reuters
US authorities charged two Chinese nationals in a cryptocurrency scam that laundered at least US$73 million from defrauded victims, the Justice Department said on Friday (May 16).
US officials arrested Yicheng Zhang in Los Angeles on Thursday, according to an indictment unsealed in US District Court in California's central district later that day. Daren Li, a dual citizen of China and St Kitts and Nevis, was arrested at the Atlanta airport in April.
The US accused the two of being involved in a type of cryptocurrency investment scam known as pig butchering, which has become a global billion-dollar industry.
The defendants are alleged to have instructed co-conspirators to open US bank accounts in the name of shell companies.
Victims were induced online into depositing money into these accounts - funds that were then laundered through US financial institutions to bank accounts in the Bahamas.
"While fraud in the crypto markets takes on many forms and hides in many far-off places, its perpetrators aren't beyond the law's reach," US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.
Li and Zhang are both charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and six counts of international money laundering. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison on each count, the Justice Department said.
Source: Reuters
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Chinese doctors claim to cure diabetes with cell therapy
Researchers in China have announced a groundbreaking achievement: the first-ever reported cure for diabetes through cell therapy.
A 59-year-old man with type 2 diabetes received an innovative cell transplant and has been insulin-free and off medication for 33 months, offering hope to other diabetes patients.
This experimental procedure involved creating an artificial version of the insulin-producing cells found in the pancreas, which help regulate blood sugar levels.
The patient had been living with type 2 diabetes for 25 years and had nearly lost all function of these islet cells. He was at high risk for severe complications, requiring multiple daily insulin injections to avoid diabetic coma.
"He was at great risk of serious diabetes complications," Yin Hao, a leading researcher at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, told Shanghai-based news outlet 'The Paper' earlier this month.
How was the diabetes cure found?
After receiving the cell transplant in July 2021, the patient was free from external insulin within eleven weeks, and his oral medication dosage was gradually reduced until it was completely stopped a year later. "Follow-up examinations showed that the patient's pancreatic islet function was effectively restored," Yin said. The patient has now been insulin-free for 33 months.
This medical breakthrough, achieved by a team of doctors and researchers from Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, the Centre for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Renji Hospital, was published in the journal Cell Discovery on April 30.
The team used and programmed the patient's own peripheral blood mononuclear cells, transforming them into "seed cells" that reconstituted pancreatic islet tissue in an artificial environment.
Yin emphasised that this breakthrough marks significant progress in the emerging field of regenerative medicine, where the body's own regenerative capabilities are harnessed to treat illnesses. "Our technology has matured and it has pushed boundaries in the field of regenerative medicine for the treatment of diabetes," he said.
How serious is diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic condition affecting the body's ability to convert food into energy. Insulin, produced by the islets in the pancreas, is crucial for regulating blood sugar levels. In diabetes, this system malfunctions: either the body does not produce enough insulin, or it cannot use insulin effectively.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form, affects nearly 90 percent of people living with diabetes and is largely diet-related, developing over time. Without proper management, diabetes can lead to serious complications, including heart disease, vision loss, and kidney disease.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "there isn't a cure yet for diabetes." Treatment typically involves weight loss, healthy eating, medication, and frequent insulin injections and monitoring.
Scientists worldwide are exploring islet transplantation as a promising alternative, primarily by creating islet-like cells from human stem cell cultures. After more than a decade of work, this team of Chinese scientists has made significant strides.
According to a World Health Organization report, it is estimated that in India, there are 77 million adults with diabetes (type 2) and nearly 25 million at high risk of developing diabetes soon.
How will the new therapy affect China?
China, home to the highest number of diabetes patients worldwide, faces a significant healthcare burden.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, 140 million people in China have diabetes, with 40 million dependent on lifelong insulin injections. This new cell therapy could substantially lighten this healthcare load.
Australia: Man arrested after running naked through plane
A domestic flight was forced to land early after a man allegedly ran naked down the aisle of the plane. Police have arrested the suspect who is being seen to in hospital.
Australian police said on Tuesday they had arrested a man for disrupting a domestic flight after he allegedly ran naked down the aisle, knocking over a member of the crew.
The VA696 flight from Perth to Melbourne was forced to turn around shortly after it took off on Monday night.
"On arrival in Perth, the aircraft was met by the Australian Federal Police and the disruptive guest was offloaded" the airline, Virgin Australia, said in a statement.
Suspect taken to hospital
Police said "officers arrested a man after he allegedly ran naked through the aircraft mid-flight and knocked a crew member to the floor."
"The man was transferred to hospital for assessment, where he remains," a police statement said.
Australian broadcaster ABC said that it understood nobody had been injured in the incident.
"The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority and we sincerely apologize to guests impacted," Virgin Australia said.
The man is expected to appear in court on June 14, although the charges he will face have not yet been finalized. An investigation has been launched.
Two Arrested in Money Laundering Scheme Tied to Chinese Entities and Mexican Drug Cartels
The U.S. Justice Department has announced charges against two individuals for their alleged involvement in laundering money for Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, which authorities say have “caused the worst drug crisis” in U.S. history.
Officials arrested Tan Li Pei of Georgia on May 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement issued that day. Chen Chaojie, a Chinese national living in Chicago, was apprehended on April 16, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
U.S. prosecutors accused Chen and Tan of working for a transnational money laundering organization, conducting financial transactions with profits derived from selling fentanyl and other illicit drugs in the United States. The authorities didn’t reveal the organization’s name but said “millions of dollars” in illegal narcotics proceeds had been laundered.
Transnational Money Laundering Scheme
According to the DOJ, the two defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly traveled across the United States to collect money generated from the sale of fentanyl and other illicit drugs. They are accused of collaborating with individuals abroad, including in China, to launder the profits through financial transactions aimed at concealing the money’s source.
Prosecutors charged Tan and Chen, in separate criminal complaints, with conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.
Seized Cash and Suspicious Transactions
The U.S. law enforcement agency seized a large amount of cash from Chen before his latest arrest, suspecting the money to be profits from drug trafficking. In April 2019, over $200,000 in cash was discovered in his vehicle during a traffic stop by Michigan State Troopers. Investigators suspected it to be profits from drug trafficking.
Chen denied ownership of the money, telling investigators via an interpreter that a “friend” had asked him to pick up the bulk of cash from an unknown male for cellphones. He stated that his communications with the “friend” were conducted on WeChat, a messaging app popular among Chinese, according to the document.
In April 2020, Chen was arrested again after investigators seized over $149,000 in cash during another traffic stop in Chicago. Chen claimed he worked for a Hong Kong-based company whose operator paid him $7,000 each month to deliver “electronic products to ‘customers’ in the Chicago area in exchange for bulk cash,” according to the document.
The operator, identified by Chen as “Liu,” messaged him a “code” that Chen would use to confirm customers’ identities. The investigation later found that the “codes” were the serial numbers on U.S. currency notes, which investigators described as “a common tactic used by money laundering organizations.”
In a search of Chen’s residence, law enforcement officials discovered ledgers, a money-counting machine, and other materials suspected to be used in illegal activities. An analysis of the ledgers is still underway, but investigators have identified recorded transactions totaling at least $8.9 million, according to the complaints. Chen was released after the interview.
Global Supply Chain and DEA Report
The indictment came as an annual report from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) highlighted the threats posed by two Mexican cartels, Jalisco and Sinaloa, which operate in all 50 states and have “effectively eliminated any competition,” according to the federal agency.
“Together, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have caused the worst drug crisis in U.S. history,” the report released on May 9 states. “They dictate the flow of nearly all illicit drugs into the United States, and their dominance over the synthetic drug trade in particular is evident in the relentless stream of illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine crossing the border toward U.S. markets.”
Chinese Entities in the Supply Chain
Companies in communist China appear to be key players in the global supply chain developed by the two crime organizations. According to the report, the cartels rely on Chinese suppliers to obtain precursor chemicals and pill presses, which are shipped to Mexican labs to manufacture fentanyl and other synthetic drugs that are smuggled to the United States. Finally, Chinese money launderers move profits from drug dealing from the United States to Mexico.
“Drug trafficking organizations based in Mexico and South America are increasingly utilizing China-based underground banking systems as their primary money laundering mechanism,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the report.
The arrests and ongoing investigations underscore the complex and international nature of modern drug trafficking and money laundering operations, highlighting the need for global cooperation in combating these transnational criminal activities.
Source: E-Pardafas
China will relocate close to 1 million rural Tibetans by 2025: HRW report
China is using extreme measures to relocate close to a million rural Tibetans by 2025, said Human Rights Watch, the New York-based rights watch dog, in a new report titled 'Educate the Masses to Change Their Minds: China's Coercive Relocation of Rural Tibetans.'
According to official statistics, over 930,000 rural Tibetans will be relocated by Chinese authorities between 2000 and 2025.
Notably, more than 709,000 of these relocations (76%) have occurred since 2016, coinciding with the start of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan. This group includes 140,000 people relocated as part of whole village relocation drives and 567,000 relocated as part of individual household relocations between 2016 and 2020. Currently, Chinese authorities are moving residents from 500 villages, affecting over 140,000 people.
The 71-page report elaborates on the compulsory participation of Tibetans in these whole village relocation programs. For example, in a village in Nagchu, 200 out of 262 households initially resisted relocating nearly 1,000 kilometers away. Although the Chinese government claimed that these villagers eventually consented to move, HRW found that consent was obtained through extreme forms of persuasion and coercion, including repeated home visits, threats of punishment, and disciplinary action against local officials who failed to meet relocation targets.
Additionally, these coercive tactics include threats against villagers who voiced disagreements, accusing them of “spreading rumors” and ordering crackdowns on dissent, implying both administrative and criminal penalties. Officials require each targeted village to reach a consensus decision, preventing any individual resident from opting out and thereby applying peer pressure to ensure compliance. Authorities also misleadingly claim that these relocations will “improve people’s livelihood” and protect the ecological environment.
'The mass relocations of rural Tibetan villages are severely eroding Tibetan culture and ways of life,' said Maya Wang, acting China director at HRW. 'China's government should suspend relocations in Tibet until an independent, expert review of existing policies and practices is carried out to determine their compliance with Chinese law and standards and international law concerning relocations and forced evictions.'
HRW also issued recommendations to the Chinese authorities involved in the forced relocation programs to ensure that they follow international standards, including exploring all alternatives, providing adequate compensation, and legal remedies, cease coercive tactics to gain consent for relocations, remove deadlines for relocation agreements, punish officials who make false claims about relocation benefits, permit United Nations special rapporteurs access to Tibetan areas and amend Chinese laws to align with international standards on forced evictions.
Source: Phayul
World Uyghur Congress condemns Hong Kong Court's pro-democracy activist sentencing
The World Uyghur Congress has strongly condemned the sentencing of 14 pro-democracy activists by a Hong Kong high court in the largest case under the National Security Law (NSL) imposed by China in 2020.
The 14 Hong Kong pro-democracy figures, including opposition lawmakers, are among 47 individuals convicted of the crime of 'subversion of state power' in 2021 and found guilty of participating in the primary elections. They could face life imprisonment.
'It is no surprise that China uses the NSL to silence dissidents,' remarked WUC President Dolkun Isa in a statement. "But the sentencing is furthermore evident of the systematic erosion of democracy, fundamental freedoms, and the shrinking space of civil society under the CCP," a press statement issued by the World Uyghur Congress stated.
The NSL, enacted in response to the pro-democracy protests that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, criminalizes acts of 'collusion, terrorism, secession, and subversion,' punishable by life imprisonment.
Critics argue it serves as a tool for Beijing to quell dissent and tighten its grip on the semi-autonomous region.
Standing in solidarity with the pro-democracy figures, the WUC demands their immediate release and urges the international community, including the European Commission, to take decisive action.
Calling for sanctions on those responsible, the WUC stresses the urgent need to address the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms.
'With the upcoming global elections, including EU elections,' emphasized Isa, 'democratic governments need to hold China accountable for its continuous attack on democracy and disregard for human rights.'
As the world grapples with these challenges, the call for justice reverberates louder, signalling a pivotal moment in the fight to safeguard democratic principles against authoritarian overreach.
Source: ANI
Southern Germany hit by catastrophic flooding
The southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have been inundated, causing dam bursts and prompting dramatic rescues. States of emergency have been declared in several areas with more heavy rain expected.
Residents in the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have been urged to exercise extreme caution Saturday as dramatic evacuations take place across the region.
So far, states of emergency have been declared in several districts and the German Weather Service (DWD) has issued severe weather warnings in more than 10 districts, with forecasts for more heavy rain over the next 24-48 hours.
Widespread disruption
Train service between the Bavarian capital Munich and Bregenz, Austria, as well as Zurich, Switzerland, were canceled Saturday. Train travel between Munich and Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, was detoured, and services between Ulm and Augsburg were also affected.
A 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) stretch of the A3 Autobahn near Bavarian Regensburg was also shut down in both directions Saturday afternoon when water from nearby fields began flooding the road.
In Augsburg, Bavaria, a dyke and a dam both burst, prompting emergency evacuations.
In Fischach, west of Munich, emergency services workers had to rescue residents stranded in their homes with helicopters when the local Schmutter River flooded. Other districts saw rescuers arriving in boats as floodwaters made roads impassable.
The ADAC automobile association — best known for it's roadside assistance and flight for life services — on Saturday said that all of its helicopters in southern Germany were currently in use assisting evacuation and rescue efforts. Air-rescue Services Director Jochen Oesterle said helicopters from northern Germany were en route to the south as well, where he said, "we will be deploying our experienced crews."
Residents of Bavaria, Baden Württemberg ordered to evacuate
Evacuations in the region began Friday evening, with an apartment building in Lindau, Bavaria, emptied as a precautionary measure. Water had made its way into the building, a spokeswoman for the city said, increasing the risk of an electrical short-circuit.
Residents from the building were then bussed to a nearby gymnasium where they spent the night.
In the Lake Constance district of Baden-Württemberg some 1,300 people were also asked to leave their homes due to the risk of flooding.
In the city of Memmingen authorities were forced to evacuate a state prison after plumbing began to back up as floodwaters seeped into the complex. Prison services said roughly 100 prisoners from the facility — 80 men and 20 women — had been temporarily taken to nearby penitentiaries in Landsberg, Kempten and Aichach, noting that it could be weeks before they return to Memmingen.
Authorities in Diedorf, near Augsburg, told residents that it was no longer enough for them to simply move to the upper floors of their homes, ordering them to leave as floodwaters continued to rise.
In Wiesensteig, Baden-Württemberg, residents were ordered to boil water before consumption after floodwaters overwhelmed local water treatment facilities.
Fire departments across southern Germany urged residents in affected areas to avoid basements, underground parking facilities and tunnels as well as advising against attempting to drive or walk through flooded areas.
Bavarian State Premier Markus Söder on Saturday said the "extremely strenuous" situation was "far from over. It's just starting." Söder thanked emergency services workers from the police, Red Cross, fire departments and beyond, saying, "without these helpers we would be lost." He also implored citizens to "follow the rules."
Though Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg were most directly affected, with heavy rains and thunderstorms continuing on Saturday, the eastern states or Saxony and Thuringia also began experiencing inclement weather with heavy rain in the forecast. Several major events in the area were canceled as a precaution.
China state firms targeted by U.S. lawmakers for allegedly helping Iran
Treasury should probe 6 companies that assist Tehran in evading sanctions, letter says.
Republican legislators on the House of Representatives' influential China-focused committee on Friday urged the U.S. to investigate six Chinese state-owned companies for allegedly helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.
The Department of Treasury should provide an analysis on whether the activities of state-owned military, oil and shipping companies and their subsidiaries should be subject to secondary sanctions for assisting Iran's energy sector and military, the lawmakers said in a letter sent that day.
The six companies targeted by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party are China North Industries Group, Aviation Industry Corp. of China, China Ocean Shipping , China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), CRRC, and China Petroleum & Chemical (Sinopec).
The group alleges that subsidiaries of CNOOC have participated in projects with the U.S.-sanctioned entity National Iranian Oil, while Sinopec helped develop an oilfield and may continue to be involved in other parts of the development.
The U.S. lawmakers say that American financial institutions have made billions of dollars of investments in these companies, and dozens others that bolster China's military capabilities and also support egregious human rights abuses in the country.
'Many of these companies even appear to engage in activities that violate existing U.S. sanctions against Iran. As a result, U.S. retirees are likely indirectly funding activities that run counter to U.S. national security and international stability,' read the letter, signed by Chairman John Moolenaar and 11 Republican members.
The bipartisan House committee was formed in January 2023 to tackle security threats from China. It has produced a raft of proposals to combat Beijing's influence and capabilities.
Iran's main revenue comes from oil, but Western sanctions have barred it from shipping or receiving payments for oil. Over the years, Iran has developed means to export its oil, with the latest report from the International Energy Agency putting the country's oil exports at a five-year high of about 1.29 million barrels per day, with the vast majority going to China.
Source: Nikke Asia
