Canada Denies Release to Alleged Smuggler Awaiting Deportation Proceedings

On December 29, 2000, the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board denied for the third time since his arrest on immigration charges in November release for Lai Changxing and his wife, Tsang Mingna. They were ordered to remain in police custody while they seek refugee status. Lee Ann King, an Immigration and Refugee Board adjudicator, ruled that Mr. Lai and his wife were likely to flee Canada if they were ordered returned to the People’s Republic of China where Mr. Lai has been accused of operating a multibillion-dollar smuggling operation in Fujian Province that evaded import duties on as much as $10 billion worth of goods…[more]