4 held for smuggling emigrants to U.S.

The National Policy Administration on Thursday arrested four Chinese, including Li Bingwang, 27, on suspicion of sending 110 Chinese illegal emigrants to the U.S. via Kimpo International Airport.

Lee and the three others allegedly received US$60,000 per person after helping the Chinese enter the U.S. with forged passports and U.S. visas.

They chose Kimpo as the gateway for the illegal emigrants because boarding U.S. passenger airliners is easier at Kimpo than at Chinese cities or Hong Kong, the Foreign Affairs Department of the NPA said.

They allegedly turned over the forged passports and visas to the Chinese in the bond area of Kimpo International Airport.

The four took a total of US$6.6 million (7.26 billion won) from the emigrants so far, police said. The police put four others, including Ms. Lin Shaochun, 28, known as the leader of the brokers, on a wanted list, and asked Interpol in Beijing, Hong Kong and Washington to investigate the case jointly.