Two Chinese are arrested for setting up a secret police station in New York & 40 Chinese public security officials are charged with carrying out a ``transnational suppression plan'' for US residents

On April 17, 2023, two Chinese nationals were arrested for setting up a secret police station in Chinatown, Manhattan, New York, to monitor people critical of the Chinese government. In addition, on the same day, a total of 44 people, including 40 officials from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, were indicted by the Federal Prosecutor's Office for trying to suppress the speech of ``Chinese people who are critical of the Chinese government living in the United States''.

Two Arrested for Operating Illegal Overseas Police Station of the Chinese Government | OPA | Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-arrested-operating-illegal-overseas-police-station-chinese-government

40 Officers of China's National Police Charged in Transnational Repression Schemes Targeting US Residents | OPA | Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/40-officers-china-s-national-police-charged-transnational-repression-schemes-targeting-us

Two people, Lu Jianwang, 61, who lives in the Bronx, New York, and Chen Jinping, 59, who lives in Manhattan, New York, were arrested for setting up a secret police station. The two have set up a secret police station in Manhattan's Chinatown according to the instructions of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security, `` intimidating people who have fled from China to the United States and urging them to return to China, '' and `` Chinese living in the United States. Identifying the address of the activist.'

In October 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into the secret police station and seized mobile phones from two people. ``Evidence that communication with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has been deleted'' was found on the mobile phone, and two people admitted to the fact that they had deleted it, leading to their arrest.

'The Chinese Communist Party, through its repressive security apparatus, has established a physical base in New York to monitor those critical of the government,' said Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Department of National Security. 'The Chinese Communist Party's actions are far beyond what we can tolerate as a nation. We will resolutely defend the freedom of all people living in the United States from the threat of authoritarian oppression,' he said. I strongly condemn it.

In addition, on the same day as the above arrest, 40 officials of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and China were accused of ``implementing a suppression plan using a fake SNS account to suppress the speech of a person who is critical of the Chinese government living in the United States.'' Forty-four people, including two employees of the Cyberspace Administration (CAC), have been indicted by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

According to an announcement by the US Department of Justice, the indicted person was acting as a member of the '912 Special Project Working Group'. The group creates thousands of fake accounts on SNS such as Twitter, ``spread Chinese propaganda'', ``send threatening direct messages to people critical of the Chinese government'', and ``anti-government video conferences''. participate and disrupt by playing loud music or screaming.'

The U.S. Department of Justice has labeled the 912 Special Projects Working Group's actions as a 'state-sponsored criminal plot' and has severely condemned the Chinese government.