U.S. authorities arrested Chengxuan Han, a Chinese researcher and doctoral student from Huazhong University, for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the U.S. Han was detained at the Detroit airport on Sunday after sending four shipments from China to the University of Michigan since September. These shipments reportedly contained biological material related to roundworms, concealed between book pages, which requires government permits for transport.
The FBI’s complaint indicates that Han made misleading statements when questioned about the shipments upon her arrival from Shanghai. Han’s arrest follows another incident where two Chinese nationals were charged for attempting to smuggle a toxic fungus into the U.S.; one of them, a researcher at the University of Michigan, remains in custody, while the other was denied entry last year and is still at large.
In her defense, some experts suggest the materials Han tried to bring are not inherently dangerous but emphasize that strict regulations govern shipping biological substances. Additionally, the complaint notes that Han deleted the contents of her electronic device three days prior to her arrival, claiming she wanted to “start fresh” in the U.S.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not commented on Han’s case, but a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that the government expects its citizens abroad to adhere to local laws. The University of Michigan has also not responded to inquiries, but it has previously expressed its commitment to cooperating with federal investigations and condemned actions that threaten national security. Han is currently in custody and faces a bond hearing on Wednesday.
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