China Ran Secret Police Station In The Middle Of NYC: Feds

NEW YORK CITY — China operated a secret police station in the middle of New York City to repress members of its diaspora, federal prosecutors said Monday afternoon.

A nondescript building in the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown housed an undeclared police station to monitor and discipline dissidents of the People's Republic of China, said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace and Assistant Attorney General David Newman.

"We don't need or want a secret police station in our great city," Peace said. "We remain and resolved and steadfast to fight against any efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to oppress and intimidate our residents."

Federal prosecutors charged 34 officials with conspiring to harass U.S.-based dissidents on social media and churn propaganda, Newman said.

Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, were arrested Monday morning on charges of conspiring to act as agents of the PRC government and destroying evidence, said Michael Driscoll of the FBI's New York field office.

"The individuals arrested today were working at the direction of the Chinese government, Driscoll said. "The ultimate purpose of this illegal police station was not to protect and serve but rather to silence, harass and threaten individuals here in the United States."

Chinese agents used a New York-based nonprofit to open the station in February 2022, claiming they would help Chinese diaspora with bureaucratic tasks such as renewing drivers licenses, Driscoll and Peace said.

Released court records do not name the address or the nonprofit, but an image of the building appears to show a building on East Broadway off Pike Street.

Google reviews of a nonprofit located in the building mirror allegations raised by federal prosecutors, namely that it was a secret police station.

Peace contends the station was run by China's Ministry of Public Security whose agents worked to track down Chinese diaspora members who spoke out against Chinese government.

Its officers were assigned to the ministry's "9-12 Special Project Working Group" to harass dissidents and spread propaganda, said David Sundberg of the FBI's D.C. field office.

One instance saw the agents disrupting dissidents' online meeting with loud music and vulgar content, Peace said.

In another case, they tracked down a pro-Democratic dissident, and U.S. citizen, in California, according to Peace.

The FBI searched the Chinatown station in October and interviewed workers who admitted to deleting records, Peace said.

The investigation is ongoing, but the deleted records mean the full extent of their action remains unknown, Peace said.

Those who believe they were victims of transnational repression can contact the FBI here.