New York officer charged with spying for China
US authorities have charged a Tibetan man serving as a fresh York officer with espionage, accusing him of gathering information about the city’s Tibetan community for the Chinese government.
The officer, who worked at a station in the Queens portion of the town, was directed by members of the Chinese consulate in NY, in line with the indictment released Monday.
Through his contacts with the Tibetan community, the 33-year-old man gathered information between 2018 and 2020 on the community’s activities, along with recognized potential information sources.
In line with the indictment, the person - who is also an officer US army Reserve - allowed members of the Chinese consulate to wait events organized by the brand new York Police Department.
The Chinese authorities allegedly paid him thousands of dollars for his service.
The officer has been charged with four counts, including enlisting in the service of a foreign country on US soil, misrepresentation and obstructing the operation of a public service.
He was brought before a judge Monday and taken into custody, a spokesperson for the Brooklyn federal prosecutor told AFP.
According to the NYPD, he's currently suspended without pay.
Born in China, the person was granted political asylum in america, claiming he was tortured by Chinese authorities as a result of his Tibetan ethnicity.
The investigation revealed, however, that both of his parents were members of the Chinese Communist Party.
“If confirmed by the courts,” the espionage procedure “demonstrates the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in malign businesses to suppress dissent, not only in Tibet… but anywhere in the world,” said the International Campaign for Tibet, an advocacy group that promotes Tibetans’ freedoms and rights.
After allowing Tibet to operate autonomously from 1912-1950, Beijing retook control of the territory in 1951. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile since 1959.
