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May 5, 2000 |
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China migrant sting
At
last, China's traffickers in human misery are feeling the heat.
That's the message from American federal agents who say they have
smashed a migrant-smuggling ring.
And it's a heat felt not only across the
Canada-U.S. border, but back in China itself. Canadian police played
no direct role in ``Operation Squeeze Play.'' But the four-month
sting has resulted in indictments against several Canadians as well
as Americans and Chinese for conspiring to smuggle people from
Fujian province.
While unlawful Chinese migration is no great immigration crisis,
these criminals do prey on desperate people, put lives at risk, keep
migrants in bondage until they pay their fees, and strain ties
between countries. They should be closed down.
The American sting was remarkable because it targeted alleged
ringleaders in China itself, not just their operatives here. It's a
model Canadian police should adopt. The threat of exposure may
encourage Beijing to suppress the rings, and to more quickly
repatriate migrants, before more embarrassment follows.
Spaced-out missiles |
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Editorial cartoon
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