Two cops, Chinese man
held in extortion probe
PHILIPSBURG--Two police officers have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the extortion of money from Chinese nationals suspected of residing here illegally in exchange for their release, just four days after The Daily Herald reported the story of the alleged attempts.
The two police officers have been identified as Brigadier J.A. and Corporal A.C., both of whom worked for the Surveillance Department and were part of the Zero Tolerance Unit in December. The civilian reportedly is a Chinese national who owns a local bar and a supermarket in Philipsburg and reportedly was used as a translator. He had explained to the Chinese victims what was required of them in exchange for their freedom.
Prosecutor Johan de Vrieze said a third person, a male civilian, had been detained on Sunday in connection with the same investigation. He said that while he would not immediately call the crime of which the officers were being accused extortion, whatever the exact nature of their act “it is a very serous matter.”
De Vrieze said that while there had been several reports about extortion of money from Chinese nationals by police, the matter was not as simple as was described in those reports. He said the bottom line was that the local police department had arrested two of its own “because it was necessary.”
He said, “We are still conducting our investigation to determine what the crime they committed was.”
The crimes were reportedly committed during the Christmas season controls. Sources had told The Daily Herald that a group of officers was controlling specifically Chinese nationals during the Christmas season.
According to the allegations, on one or more occasions the group told the nationals of China who had been detained on suspicion that they were residing on the island without legal residence permits that if they wanted to be released without being taken to the police station, they had to pay the officers US $1,000.
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