Man and daughters say they were unwittingly roped in

A Scarborough father and two daughters arrested in Detroit on smuggling charges said they just happened to stumble into an organized human smuggling operation.

Speaking from his home in the Sheppard and Warden Aves. area yesterday, Hip Chuen Chow said he was coaxed to a Detroit hotel to meet a woman to make arrangements to bring people from China for a legitimate tour of North America.

``I would not have brought my kids with me if I were to commit a crime,'' said a tired-looking Chow, who drove home Wednesday afternoon with his daughters Jennifer, 22, and Ellis, 21. They had been questioned through the night at the Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Detroit.

``No parents on earth would risk the lives of their children. No one would do that to their children.''

Chow, 53, and his daughters were among five Canadians charged with being part of a ring smuggling Chinese migrants into the United States.

The three were released from custody Wednesday after posting a $25,000 (U.S.) bond. They are to appear in a Detroit court May 22.

Tong ``Thomas'' Choe of Toronto and Hyo Young ``Peter'' Park of Winnipeg appeared in court yesterday on charges of conspiring to smuggle aliens and bribing a public official.

The two Canadians remained in a Detroit jail last night, though they had been ordered released on bail. Prosecutors immediately appealed that ruling by Judge Thomas Carlson.

District Court Judge Patrick Duggan began hearing the appeal late yesterday, and it will resume today.

``They're at risk of flight,'' said Gina Vitrano, from the U.S. attorney's office in Detroit. ``They have access to a lot of money. They have access to lots of passports. And they travel extensively.''

Chow said a Hong Kong friend called Tuesday and asked whether Jennifer could escort a North American tour for a group from China.

``I had told him my daughter planned to travel to Hong Kong this summer, and he asked if she could escort his friends on her way back to Canada because they don't speak any English,'' said Chow, adding that his friend offered to pay her airfare.

He told him they would have to make the arrangements with a woman in Detroit that night, Chow added.

The three left Toronto at 5 p.m. Tuesday and arrived at 11 p.m. They were brought to a hotel in Romulus, Mich., to meet a man who turned out to be an undercover INS officer.

While Chow waited in his car in the parking lot, his daughters were taken to a hotel room, where police officers and INS officials were waiting.

``All of a sudden, about a dozen officers showed up and put everyone under arrest,'' said Chow, a 27-year resident of Canada. ``My daughters were so frightened that they started to cry. We didn't do anything wrong. We are innocent.''

Chow, who ran a grocery store until four years ago, said he has lots of contacts with Chinese officials and occasionally plays host when they visit ``as a favour to my friends.''

His wife and five daughters were so humiliated they spent most of yesterday weeping at home, Chow said.

``How is the rest of the world - our friends, our neighbours and everyone - going to look at us?''