Smuggling missiles, particularly shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles from China is an easy job and enjoys official patronage. This is the message that comes home from the enterprise of two China-born Americans. One of them is since dead. The second one is cooling his heels in a southern California jail.
According to an Associated Press report, Yi Qing Chen, 46, of Rosemead, was found guilty of a conspiracy to import missile systems, designed to destroy aircraft, from China to the USA. Delivered on October 6, it is the first guilty verdict in the nation under a 2004 anti-terrorism statute that outlaws the importing of missile systems designed to destroy enemy aircraft. The statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and the possibility of life in prison without parole.
According to prosecutors, Chen, and his associate, Chao Tung Wu, naturalized US citizens, born in China, met with an undercover agent in October 2004 and said they could arrange shipment of the missiles from China. The agent was initially told 200 missiles were available to buy. Wu pleaded guilty in 2006 and died while he awaited sentencing.
The case against Chen and Wu was part of an FBI-led investigation called “Operation Smoking Dragon.”
Smuggling network of Chinese arms and missiles to various terrorist networks is a well known phenomenon, actively coordinated by PLA officers operating under fictitious companies. The May 2008 edition of the Jane’s Intelligence Review exposed the network of `arms trafficking industry’ of China.
Under the title, “Lords of war”, the magazine gave a graphic picture of weapons supplied to warring groups in South America and Asia. The network supplied arms and weapons to both parties of the conflict simultaneously, like, for instance, the LTTE and Sri Lankan armed forces.
China provided arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan and to various insurgent groups active in north-eastern states of India, like the United Liberation Force of Assam (ULFA). China-ULFA link became public in 2004.
It so happened that a huge consignment was delivered at the Chittagong port for transportation by road to the ULFA camps in Bangladesh. One of packets fell down while being loaded to trucks and soon the kingpins in the smuggling ring were arrested. Bangladesh is prosecuting them now.
These arms came from China’s state-owned Norinco. And included assault rifles, RPGs, T-85 sub-machine guns, hand grenades and ammunition.
Norinco’s international activities were the focus of a diplomatic spat between the US and China in 2003 when Assistant Secretary for Verification and Compliance described the Chinese company as a “serial proliferators”.
Norinco operations in Asia are carried out through companies that act as subsidiaries or sales agents. In Thailand, for instance, the agent/subsidiary is Bangkok based HD Intertrade Company Ltd.
Ranked among the forefront of China’s 500 largest state-owned enterprises in terms of total assets and revenue, Norinco was established in 1980 with the approval of the State Council of China initially as a part of the defence ministry. It started by manufacturing adopted Soviet equipment. At present, its range includes precision strike systems, amphibious assault weapons and equipment, long range suppression weapons, anti-aircraft & anti-missiles, and information, high-effect destruction systems ( fuel air bombs), and night vision products besides small arms, and ammunition. It also manufactures trucks, cars and motorcycles, oil field equipment, chemicals, light industrial products, explosives and blast materials.
According to a testimony before the US Congress, Norinco has subsidiaries in America as well. Some of them are identified as Beta Lighting, Beta Unitex, China Sports (California), Forte Lighting, Larin, and NIC International (New Jersey).
The Clinton administration blocked the import of Norinco products to America in 1993.;the decision was prompted by concerns about their end use particularly by criminals in inner cities; a year later in 1994, some employees of Norinco came under investigation after a successful sting, Operation Dragon Fire. In May 1996, the largest seizure of fully operational automatic weapons in American history was made and fourteen persons and an Atlanta company were indicted for the unlicensed import of 2000 Chinese small arms and sale in the country.
This set the stage for the second sting operation which resulted in the sentencing of Yi Qing Chen on charge of smuggling in Chinese missiles. He had promised to bring mortars, anti-aircraft missiles, silenced machine guns and even tanks
An affidavit signed by two of the undercover agents involved in the investigation says the Norinco representatives had offered to sell Oakland, California street gangs shoulder-held missile launchers capable of downing a large commercial airliner.
Bush Administration brought Norinco under sanctions regime in August 2003 for allegedly selling MTCR missile-related items to Iran. Neither the Chinese government nor Norinco has denied doing business with Iranian companies though the US action was termed groundless and unjustified and entirely unreasonable action.
