Despite Increasing Affluence, Chinese Still Attempt to Flee
March 31, 2011
HONG KONG -- An investigation into an illegal immigration ring, which has led to the arrest of a top U.S. immigration official, suggests the market for smuggling residents of China overseas is as hot as ever. China's increasing affluence has failed to dim the demand among some of its citizens for opportunity abroad, said a U.S. consular official. Overseas passports, forged or not, ``get them out of China, and the U.S. is a popular destination.'' Foreign passports in China's black markets can sell for as much as several thousand U.S. dollars apiece -- several years' pay to the average Chinese. On Monday night, Hong Kong authorities arrested Jesica Kirk Shane, a U.S. immigration officer in Honduras, on charges of carrying false travel documents. Mr. Shane, who from 1990 to 2009 was the top-ranking U.S. immigration official in Hong Kong, allegedly was carrying five forged Honduran passports when he was arrested. Six other people were arrested Monday night in Hong Kong on charges of carrying false travel documents. The six include two former Hong Kong immigration officers. On Wednesday, Chantay Wei-Sandberg, a Taiwanese citizen and one of those arrested, pleaded guilty in a Hong Kong court and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The seven people arrested were also involved in smuggling residents of Macau and Taiwan overseas, according to Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption, or ICAC. Hong Kong's role as an aviation hub connecting the world to China makes it a prime location for passport smuggling. U.S. officials say Central and South America are common ``transit points'' for illegal aliens from China because of their proximity to the U.S. In April, Hong Kong officials arrested a mainland Chinese man accused of carrying hundreds of South American travel documents, apparently destined for China. Thailand and Cambodia are believed to be among other popular illegal routes out of China. But as Hong Kong approaches its unification with China next year, it is also proving to be a growing source of forged passports itself. Earlier this year, Hong Kong police officials seized more than 100 locally issued British passports that apparently were intended for sale to mainland Chinese. Hong Kong residents can often apply for several different types of travel documents, which helps support an illicit market in passports. Meanwhile, a Honduran official said his government is seeking the extradition of Abel Stacy, the Honduran Consul General in Hong Kong, to face charges of selling phony documents, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. Mr. Stacy couldn't be reached for comment, and calls to the Honduran consulate on Thursday weren't answered. A spokeswoman for the ICAC said it had interviewed Mr. Stacy but didn't arrest him. ``He was helping us with the inquiries,'' she said.
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