Chinese Scientist Arrested for Alleged Smuggling of Biological Material at Detroit Airport

A Chinese scientist was apprehended upon arrival at the Detroit airport, marking the second instance in a short period involving the alleged illegal transport of biological substances, according to authorities.

The scientist is alleged to have previously sent biological material to staff at a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The FBI, in court documents, identified the material as related to specific worms and requiring a government permit for import.

According to John Nowak, who oversees field operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the regulations for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research are strict. He stated that actions like these undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars.

The scientist was questioned and arrested on Sunday after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree. She intended to spend a year working on a project at the University of Michigan.

The FBI reported that her shipments, including an envelope concealed within a book, were intercepted and opened by authorities last year and earlier this year.

The court documents do not specify whether the FBI considers the biological material hazardous, although U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. stated that smuggling poses a threat to security.

Michael Shapira, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who reviewed the court filing, noted that the material did not appear dangerous, but that there are established rules for shipping biological materials.

Last week, the government charged two Chinese scientists with conspiring to smuggle a toxic fungus into the U.S. One was turned away at the Detroit airport and returned to China last year, while the other, a researcher at the University of Michigan, was arrested and remains in custody.