Daily US Times: Five ‘Chinese agents’ have been arrested in the United States by the FBI, accused of targeting opponents of the Chinese Communist Party.
The arrested individuals face charges of trying to coerce people to go to China to face punishment.
These five individuals are said to be a part of an operation called Foxhunt which Beijing says targets fugitives but critics say is aimed at communist opponents.
The FBI accused Beijing of “violating norms and laws left and right”.
The documents from the court say they were charged with conspiring to act as illegal agents of China
Six of the accused also face an additional charge for conspiracing to commit international and interstate stalking.
The court documents say the accused persons put their opponents under surveillance and attempted to coerce them to return to China for facing punishment there.
Christopher Wray, the FBI Director, said: “Today’s charges reflect yet another example of China’s ongoing and widespread lawless behaviour – and our refusal to tolerate it.”
“Simply put: It’s outrageous that China thinks it can come to our shores, conduct illegal operations and bend people here in the United States to their will,” he added.
The Chinese agents are accused of surveilling, intimidating and threatening one man referenced in court documents as John Doe-1, a New Jersey resident.
They allegedly brought his elderly Chinese father to the US in 2017 to threaten him and make him return to China.
Court documents claim that the accused persons also attempted to hire a private detective to put John Doe-1’s adult daughter under surveillance. His daughter and her friends got threatening messages online.
You may read: TikTok shrugs off Trump administration attack with expansion plans