On numerous occasions on this blog I've identified cross-strait organized crime as a major beneficiary of increased Taiwan-China trade (see, for example Art Theft in Taiwan and China). These links are now being forged internationally, reports the Jamestown Brief.In April 2012, authorities in the prosperous and generally peaceful Caribbean nation of Belize intercepted a shipment of precursor chemicals sent from China and apparently bound for representatives of the Mexican cartel “Los Zetas.” The shipment—sufficient to produce an estimated $10 billion in methamphetamines—highlights growing criminal ties between China and Latin America that have accompanied, but, to date, have lagged behind the exponential growth of trade and investment between the two regions (7 Belize News, April 11).Doesn't bode well for the future....
The limited amount of publicly available evidence suggests that criminal activity spanning the two regions is concentrated in five current or emerging domains: (1) extortion of Chinese communities in Latin America by groups with ties to China; (2) trafficking in persons from China, through Latin America, to ultimately smuggle Chinese into the United States or Canada; (3) trafficking in narcotics and precursor chemicals; (4) trafficking in contraband goods; and (5) money laundering.
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Daily Links:
- J Michael Cole on Taiwan's upcoming shortage of fighter aircraft.
- Jamestown Brief on Taiwanese intelligence official briefing
- State Dept finally puts some restrictions on Beijing's intelligence and propaganda organs in US universities, The Confucius Institutes.
- Russia is also pivoting Eastward, with greater investment into Siberia.
- DGBAS downgrades growth forecast.
- Charges against Jacqueline Liu dropped. What a surprise.
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3 comments:
KMT had a strong root in organized crime back in Shanghai day. Chiang Kai-Shek was a member of the notorious Triad. His son sent three killers from a Bamboo-Union, a derivative of that gang to murder a Chinese-American citizen in Daly City, California.
It's believed that some variations of Triad still has a strong hold in Taiwan's millitary. That is they likely already possessed some access to USA's top secret intelligence.
Gang Wang, who killed a guard of a bank during one of his bank robberies, got caught yesterday. Both his father and mother were high ranking KMT police officer. Mr. Wang owned a very impressive inventory of guns and explosives. Who supplies him that fire power?
When we talked about the organized crime flow following China trade, don't ignore their connection with KMT's undergound operation. Check out San Marino, California. It is a favorite hideout for Bamboo-Union's rank and file. 'White Wolf' Anle Zhang once dwelled there. He is living in China and Ma's sister visited him solicting compaign donation (Ma's official statement).
And the KMT-related gangsters all love the teaching of Confusious. Finally the State Dept takes action to stop Confuscious Inst's illegal activity.
I'm shocked, just shocked that organized crime is benefiting from increased China/Taiwan trade and Jaqueline Liu got off scott-free from abusing her housekeepers in the US. In other news, water is wet and fire is hot.
One thing that has bothered me since the whole trade opening is the disappearance of certain fruits. You no longer see star fruit at all. When I first came it was so cheap as to be served at kindergarten lunches. Now I never see it on sale anywhere. Lichees are also another sore point.
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