Chinese National Arrested In US For Smuggling Biological Materials, Second Such Case In Days

Last Updated:June 10, 2025, 08:25 IST

A Chinese student was arrested at Detroit airport for allegedly smuggling biological material into the US and lying to federal agents, making it second such arrest in recent days.

Chinese scientist smuggles biological material in US (Photos: @FBIDirectorKash)

Another Chinese national has been arrested on charges of allegedly smuggling biological material in the United States, making it the second such case in days. The accused was identified as a scientist and was arrested on Sunday (US time).

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Chinese scientist was arrested while arriving in the US at the Detroit airport, and has been accused of shipping biological material months ago to staff at a laboratory at the University of Michigan.

The FBI, in a court filing, described it as material related to certain worms and requires a government permit.

The development was confirmed by FBI Director Kash Patel, who, in an X post, wrote, “FBI Detroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents."

“This individual is Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China. Han is the third PRC connected individual charged on similar allegations in recent days. Han is alleged to have sent four packages to the U.S. from China containing a biological material related to round worms — addressed to individuals associated with a lab at the University of Michigan," Kash Patel wrote.

“Upon arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, Han allegedly made false statements to federal officials regarding the packages she had previously mailed — and had erased her electronic device just days prior," he added.

The Associated Press quoted John Nowak, leading field operations at US Customs and Border Protection, as saying, “The guidelines for importing biological materials into the US for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars."

The scientist was interviewed and arrested Sunday after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. She planned to spend a year completing a project at the University of Michigan, according to AP.

Her shipments, including an envelope stuffed inside a book, were intercepted last year and earlier this year and opened by authorities, the FBI said.

Last week, the US government charged two Chinese scientists who are accused of conspiring to smuggle a toxic fungus into the US.

One was turned around at the Detroit airport and sent back to China last year, while the other, a researcher at the University of Michigan, was arrested. She remains in custody.

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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