Chinese Gang Busted with Nork Made Counterfeit Money
One Free Korea is reporting about a large bust in Atlantic City of a Chinese gang that was smuggling both drugs and counterfeit money from North Korea into the country:
The guests thought they were headed to an early afternoon wedding on a yacht docked near Atlantic City. They ended up in jail instead, courtesy of an elaborate ruse by federal authorities hoping to bust up an international smuggling ring.
Lengthy undercover investigations on opposite sides of the country resulted in indictments of 87 Asians and U.S. citizens on charges of smuggling counterfeit money, drugs and cigarettes into the United States, law enforcement officials said Monday.
Authorities said they seized $4.4 million in high-quality fake $100 bills, more than 1 billion counterfeit cigarettes worth $42 million, and ecstasy, methamphetamine and Viagra worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Some of the cigarettes were made in China, said acting assistant Attorney General John Richter.
(…)
Of particular concern, Secret Service officials said, was the group’s apparent ability to generate counterfeit U.S. currency that could fool even the most sophisticated detection devices. A government source said the bills, known as “super notes” because they were virtually identical to real currency, had been made in North Korea. The bills were seized before they entered the U.S. money supply, authorities said.
One Free Korea brings up some good questions that need to be answered concerning this bust:
1. Were any North Korean nationals caught or implicated?
2. Were other branches of the same organization operating in third countries? What countries?
3. Will international cooperation be sufficiently swift to snip those branches?
4. Will it be enough to shut down the entire network?
5. Is there a connection to North Korean diplomats, who routinely finance their official functions through illegal activity?
6. Where were the drugs made?
7. Were any of those caught connected to the Chinese government?
8. In the end, how badly will this hurt the finances of the North Korean regime?
Those arrested in San Diego County in connection with the probe were identified as:
* Frank Marogi Najor, 61, of La Mesa
* Hamza Beydoun, 44, of San Diego
* Basam Salem, 29, of Spring Valley
* Bashar Kareem Salem, aka, Sean Salem, 25, of Spring Valley
I was thinking they sounded more like Islamic terrorists, rather than Asians? Interesting the difference in articles.
Here is the link to to our article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/kgtv/20050823/lo_kgtv/289…
Cynthia,
I read your link and you are right it is very interesting the differences in the articles. One focuses on the Chinese gang connection but the other shows the names of four Islamic names but don't offer any analysis if they are in fact Islamic radicals.
I found some more names. I guess there were two serparate operations and had been going on for about 6 years:
Operation Royal Charm
The nearly six-year investigation focused initially on the brokering and smuggling of counterfeit cigarettes into the U.S.
.. three Racketeering Indictments name forty four individuals. The leading conspirators, according to the Indictments are: Chen Ming Hsu, 43, of the People's Republic of China; Chang Shan Liu, 67, of Maryland, Takchung Yeung, 58, of People's Republic of China (?); Harold Psalms, 72, of Illinois; Mohamad Aref, of Illinois; Mustafapha Kechtban, 53, of Illinois; Shugin Liu, 48, of Pennsylvania; Peter Yeung, 63 of California; Hua You, 45, of California.
The San Gabriel Valley residents arrested in connection with Operation Smoking Dragon and Operation Royal Charm are:
– San Gabriel residents Chen Chiang Liu, aka Wilson Liu, 42; Dong Jie Li, aka Jenny Li, 31; Thi Hong Lan, aka Sam Lan, 41; Ly Trinh Hinh, 40; and Tat Chui Wong, aka Sunny Wong, 57.
– Rosemead residents Yi Qing Chen, 41; Willon Kow Szeto, aka John Szeto, 68; Ching You Guo, aka Michael Guo, 28; and Chun Nam Yeung, aka Peter Yeung, 63.
– Monterey Park residents Dong Yang Jiang, 49; and Sang Cam Ngu, aka John Ngu, 44. Yan Jun Ji, 34, Van C. Phu, aka Steve Phu, 58; Cecelia Peng, 47; and Zhi Gang Wang, 42.
– La Puente resident John Chao Wu, 42.
– Temple City resident Billy Cheng Ngo, 45; and Alan Hwang, 41.
– El Monte resident Sang Xuan Diep, aka Sammy Yip, 48.
– Hacienda Heights resident Hue Diep, aka Jimmy Yip, 38.
– Alhambra residents Sal Anthony Salazar, 23; Wai Leung Chu, aka Paul Chu, 45; Yuan Heng Tung, aka Henry Tung, 47; Yinghoun Tung, aka Christopher Tung, 25; and Keung Lam, 42.
– Rowland Heights resident Shuang Ying Huang, aka Tina Huang, 42.
– Walnut resident Gao Rong Xiao, 42.
So it does look like there were a lot of Asians arrested.
Sorry, didn't save the links, but the first part is from the U.S. Attorney press release, I think. The California list was from a Los Angeles area news report.
Doesn't matter. Just blame it all on Muslims, Indians, Chinese, Asians, or whatever.. they're all alike anyway.. all third world people.
What is the name of This Chinese gang?