The United States Attorney's Office is building an illegal immigrants smuggling case against a Chinese national being extradited from Hong Kong to the U.S. Virgin Islands. Chan Hak-So has been indicted on charges of smuggling people into the Virgin Islands and the U.S. mainland.
His extradition from Hong Kong to the United States is the first test of a 1999 treaty allowing extradition of Chinese citizens, according to U.S. Attorney James Hurd Jr.
Hurd said the Virgin Islands was the first jurisdiction to have used the treaty to extradite a wanted criminal from Hong Kong since the province was taken over by mainland China.
Hurd said the suspect should be in the territory soon. "Mr. Chan Hak-So has been arrested on our indictment and is being extradited to St. Thomas. He is presently being charged with alien smuggling and conspiracy," with a possibility of additional charges to come.
According to Hurd, this is not Chan's first encounter with the law. "He also is a fugitive in China, where he was wanted for various crimes committed there."
Hurd said intelligence obtained by U.S. authorities revealed Chan was a convicted felon in Hong Kong.
There is a strong local interest in the outcome of the case involving the smuggling of illegal immigrants, since the Virgin Islands often is the destination of choice. Over 430 illegal immigrants have come ashore in the V.I. so far this year, more than in all of 1999.
However, there will be no prosecutorial role for the Virgin Islands, according to Attorney General Iver Stridiron.
"The local government gets involved when the aliens land in the territory, but alien smuggling is a federal offense and therefore will be prosecuted by the federal government."
Stridiron did have high praise for the U.S. Attorney's Office for its work in bring Chan to the Virgin Islands. U.S. government officials Wednesday anticipated that Chan's initial appearance before a magistrate on conspiracy and smuggling of illegal immigrants charges will take place soon.