Arrest of HK resident in PHL, part of huge US DOJ bust of int'l smuggling ring
The Department of Justice in the United States revealed Friday in New Jersey (Saturday in Manila) that a Hong Kong resident arrested in Manila on Feb. 25 is part of “a massive counterfeit smuggling enterprise—a scheme involving individuals who were stealing corporate identities and smuggling counterfeit merchandise out of China.” US Attorney Paul J. Fishman said Mr. Soon Ah Kow was indicted last Jan. 6 on the strength of evidence gathered by “undercover agents and court-authorized wiretaps to uncover two elaborate schemes to defeat federal border and port security measures at Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Elizabeth, New Jersey.” Kow is one of 23 accused already in federal custody. A statement issued by the office of Fishman said Kow was charged with drug importation, smuggling and counterfeit goods trafficking offenses. The US DOJ said undercover agents “lured Kow, who was unaware he was indicted, to the Philippines under the guise of paying him for past transactions and discussing future illegal activities.” “The DOJ, working closely with the Philippine authorities, obtained a provisional arrest warrant for Kow, who was arrested by Philippine law enforcement agents as he stepped off his plane in Manila,” Fishman’s office said. Homeland Security Investigations Associate Director James A. Dinkins said “approximately $300 million worth of illicit goods would have been smuggled into our country” had the indicted suspects not been caught. “The enormity of this case – and the fact that we followed the investigative leads directly to the source in China, where so many counterfeit goods originate – is a stern warning to counterfeiters and smugglers everywhere,” Dinkins added. Kow’s arrest is the result of about three and a half years of operations, according to unsealed indictment documents the US DOJ cited. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found out in August 2008 that Kow was looking for assistance in importing several containers of counterfeit cigarettes and clearing them through customs. Depending on the size, each such container is worth approximately $2.5 million to $5 million,” the New Jersey office of the US DOJ said. “Following negotiations over recorded telephone calls and intercepted emails, the FBI undercover agents wired approximately $70,000 to a bank account in Taiwan to cover the price of 1 kilogram of crystal meth, shipping costs, and a broker’s fee for Kow. Kow, aged 72, faces 14 counts of various charges, including one count of “conspiracy to import methamphetamine” which carries a mandatory minimum jail time of 10 years to the maximum of life in prison, plus a $4 million fine. One of the largest ops vs smuggling