A Tibetan officer in the NYPD who has admirable performance and fast-rising in ranks has been accused of foreign espionage by authorities. He used his position in the NYPD to gain access to information that is confidential. He now faces a criminal charge.
Sources say that he shares information in the community affairs unit to access and give details of operations. It was added to the criminal complaint.
Identified as Baimadajie Angwang, 33, he was apprehended last Monday said the US Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York. Prosecutors in the Federal court have arraigned him on charges as a foreign agent, who did not inform American officials. Other felonies include wire fraud and untrue statements that were the official complaint against him, reported CNN.
Such was the gravity of the offense that he was accused of blocking an official proceeding. According to the prosecutors, he provided false information on the national security clearance form. Or he obtained information access through pretenses intentionally.
The attorney of the accused was asked to comment on the charges that Angwang was facing. His attorney said on Monday will be his first court appearance.
Sources mention that the suspect first joined the department as an officer in the NYPD's community affairs unit based in Queens. For now, till charges are cleared, he is suspended till further notice. Whether he is suspended with pay, is not yet confirmed.
Unsealing the complaint on Monday it read that he used his position as a member of the NYPD to give access to Chinese Consuls through official invitations to NYPD events. Another is charged since he can access confidential info on the NYPD operations and internal affairs.
In 2013, he served in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan, which was indicated in service records. From 2014 on, he was an official army reservist, and his rank is a staff sergeant specializing in civil affairs. More detail in the complaint against him mentions, his job in the army reserve includes the operations and tactical deployment of all civil affairs teams. He is a holder of a secret level security clearance too.
The officer in the complaint was subject to the command and control of Chinese officials to monitor, the activities of Ethnic Tibetans in NYC. Another job is to scout more spies connected to key positions to harvest information, mentioned Daily News.
Key charges posed against Angwang by the prosecutor is from 2018, where he kept an open line of communication with two consulate officers in New York. It is alleged that he received orders and reported what happened. One of his contacts is referred to as Boss, who is not identified.
The officer comes on a cultural exchange visa, and stayed longer but got asylum in the U.S. because he was tortured and arrested in the PRC. Him being Tibetan was the reason for his oppression in China. He became a U.S. citizen soon after, noted New Indian Express.
One Allegation is the accused had a conversation in a 2018 call with a Consul official, saying something about recruiting in the NYPD.
Charges against the officer and the involvement of the Chinese consulate was answered last Tuesday, saying that they did nothing illegal. The prosecutors alleged that Angwang and his spouse got transfers from the Bank of China (BoC) totaling $120,000. This was the main proof he is a mole agent for the CCP, cited the Guardian.
Related article: Chinese Diplomats Banned From Travel in the U.S. Without Clearance
