The FBI is investigating an unauthorized “police station” that China is running out of New York as part of a global network of such outposts, FBI Director Christopher Wray has said, vowing to put a stop to Beijing’s law enforcement activity in the United States.
Speaking during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Wray said the FBI is “aware of the existence these stations.”
“I have to be careful about discussing our specific investigative work, but to me, it’s outrageous to think that the Chinese police would attempt to set up shop in New York, for example, without proper coordination,” the FBI director said.
The Chinese operation “violates sovereignty and circumvents standard judicial and law enforcement cooperation processes,” Wray said.
In September, the Spanish-based human rights watchdog Safeguard Defenders reported that China has set up at least 54 “overseas police service stations” around the world, including one in New York City and three in Toronto. The group said its list was based on official statements but the actual number may be higher.
