The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream (56 page)

127
Finally, on September 4, 1992:
INS, “A Chronology of Alien Smuggling by Sea.”

127
The
Najd II
hobbled:
Ibid.; confidential interview with an ICE official.

128
But the port authorities:
“Kenyans Puzzled by Mystery Ship,”
Calgary Herald
(Alberta), December 3, 1992.

128
It would subsequently emerge:
Interview with Donald Monica, June 9, 2008.

128
One of the ship’s officers:
INS, “A Chronology of Alien Smuggling by Sea;” interview with Sean Chen.

128
After another grueling two weeks:
The
Najd II
arrived in Mombasa on October 6. INS, “A Chronology of Alien Smuggling by Sea.”

128
Kenya was already reeling:
“Kenyans Puzzled by Mystery Ship.”

128
But when the ship entered Mombasa:
“Kenya Detains 240 Chinese Holding Fake Thai Passports,” Agence France Presse, November 26, 1992.

128
To compound matters:
Li Xing Hua testimony, Sister Ping trial.

128
A delegation from Mombasa’s:
Interview with Richard Diamond, who was chaplain at the Missions to Seamen, Mombasa, between 1990 and 2000, February 19, 2007.

129
As the Kenyan authorities:
Report on the Search of M/V Najd II on 21st Nov 1992, by Jonathan New, assistant chaplain at Missions to Seamen, Mombasa; interview with Jay New, April 5, 2007.

129
Most of the passengers:
The detail about life preservers is from United States v. Fei, 225 F.3d 167, at 169.

130
Some constructed small rafts:
Interview with Richard Diamond, February 19, 2007.

130
In Baghdad or Mogadishu:
For a fascinating account of Fujianese entrepreneurs seeking their fortunes in war-torn Baghdad, see Bay Fang, “Bad Fortune: Big Trouble in Iraq’s Little China,”
New Republic
, July 10 and 17, 2006.

130
Dozens of people:
Interview with Richard Diamond, February 19, 2007.

131
The Kenyans continued:
Erick Omondi, “Mystery Ship Saga Now Deepens,”
Kenya Times Shipping Guide
, December 4, 1992.

131
Eventually, many of them:
Interview with Donald Monica, June 9, 2008.

131
At one point a delegation:
Ibid.

131
For a time there was a rumor:
Minutes of the Executive Committee of the Missions to Seamen, Mombasa, January 21, 1993.

131
According to several people:
Sean Chen, Michael Chen, and Dong Xu Zhi all confirmed this account. The
New York Times
’s Seth Faison reports in his book that all the women on board were raped, but I was unable to corroborate that. Matiko Bohoko reported at the
time and has since repeated in interviews that several of the women were being held as “sex slaves.” For what it’s worth, Kin Sin Lee, the snakeheads’ chief representative aboard the
Golden Venture
, said in testimony that he had heard about rapes on the
Najd II
and that none of the twenty-seven women aboard the
Golden Venture
were raped, in part because he had announced that any man who raped a woman on board would be thrown into the sea. Testimony of Kin Sin Lee in United States v. Kin Sin Lee, et al., 93 CR 694, June 28, 1994.

132
In November, Weng flew:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial.

132.
This was indeed:
Li Xing Hua testimony, Sister Ping trial; Cho Yee Yeung testimony, Sister Ping trial.

CHAPTER 8: THE PHANTOM SHIP

This chapter is based on a research trip I made in the spring of 2007 to Thailand, where I managed to track down Pao Pong, who is now working with the Bangkok Immigration Police, and interview him. I visited the beach in Pattaya where the
Golden Venture
passengers boarded the speedboats, and conducted several interviews with Mark Riordan, the former INS officer who was based in Thailand at the time and worked with Pao Pong to stop the operation. Other major sources include interviews with half a dozen passengers from the
Golden Venture
, most importantly Sean Chen, Michael Chen, and Dong Xu Zhi; notes from law enforcement interviews with Captain Amir Tobing; and court records from subsequent legal proceedings against Kin Sin Lee, Lee Peng Fei, and Sister Ping.

133.
On the evening of:
Unless other wise indicated, the details of Pao Pongs experience on the night of November 14, 1993, are drawn from an interview with Senior Sergeant Major Pao Pong, Bangkok Immigration Police, and Senior Sergeant Major Thana Srinkara, Pattaya Tourist Police, March 8, 2007.

134
The Tourist Police had received an alert:
Interview with Mark Riordan, June 7, 2007.

135
By the time Pao Pong:
Ibid.

135
But someone had warned the ship:
Kin Sin Lee testimony, transcript of Fatico Hearing Before the Honorable Reena Raggi in United States v. Huag Shao Ming et. al., CR-93-0694, June 27, 1994; also see Anthony DeStefano, “Feds Seeking Ship Suspect,”
Newsday
, January 7, 1994.

135
That night Pao Pong:
Unless otherwise indicated, material relating to Mark Riordan’s experience as an INS investigator in Thailand is based on interviews with Mark Riordan on June 7, 2007, and May 20, 2008.

135
When Riordan questioned:
“Thai Police Bust Human Smuggling Ring, Arrest 68 Chinese,” Agence France Presse, February 16, 1993; interviews with Mark Riordan, June 7, 2007, and May 20, 2008.

137
Mr. Charlie’s real name:
Interview with Mark Riordan, June 7, 2007.

137
A week after meeting:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial; Ah Kay testimony, Sister Ping trial.

137.
The ship had been used:
Seth Faison, “Hunt Goes on for Smuggler in Fatal Trip,”
New York Times
, July 18, 1993.

138.
In Singapore, Lee met:
Supple mental criminal incident report (based on an interview with Amir Tobing), William Stray, June 7, 1993.

138
A prosecutor later described:
Interview with Jodi Avergun, former assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York, May 24, 2007.

138
Lee enlisted a crew:
United States v. Moe, 64 F.3d 245, at 247.

138
They laid plywood planks:
Undated Coast Guard document, “Post Seizure Analysis—M/V Golden Venture.”

138
Charlie purchased:
Kin Sin Lee testimony, transcript of Fatico hearing.

138
He gave Kin Sin Lee money:
Supplemental criminal incident report, William Stray, June 7, 1993.

138
Just before the
Tong Sern
was to leave:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial.

138.
It was decided:
Government appellate brief in United States v. Lee, 122 F.3d 1058, Second Circuit Court of Appeals, April 12, 1995.

139.
As the ship headed out:
Com plaint in United States v. Moe, 93 CR 00694.

139
But during Prohibition:
See “Two American Liners Now Fly Panama Flag,”
New York Times
, December 6, 1922.

139.
In the years since:
Jim Morris, “‘Flags of Convenience’ Give Owners a Paper Refuge,”
Houston Chronicle
, Au gust 22, 1996.

140.
Dozens of other countries:
Robert Neff, “Flags That Hide the Dirty Truth,”
Asia Times
, April 19, 2007; “Bolivia Waves the Flag,”
The Economist
, May 27, 2000; James Brooke, “Landlocked Mongolia’s Seafaring Tradition,”
New York Times
, July 2, 2004; Langewiesche,
The Outlaw Sea
, p. 5.

140
But if this system worked:
See Jayant Abhyankar, “Phantom Ships,” in Eric Ellen, ed.,
Shipping at Risk: The Rising Tide of International Organized Crime
(Essex, United Kingdom: International Maritime Bureau of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Crime Services, 1997).

140
As the
Tong Sern
sailed:
Jimmy Breslin, “A Familiar Refrain: It’s Not My Fault,’”
Newsday
, June 8, 1993.

141
While the
Golden Venture:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial.

141
Late on the night of April 2:
INS, “A Chronology of Alien Smuggling by Sea;” Aung K Mynt & 17 Others v. Owners of M/V Najd II, Admiralty Cause No. 21 of 1992 in the High Court of Kenya at Mombasa, ruling, March 23, 1993.

141
Of the three hundred or so passengers:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial.

141
Nor were they the only ones:
Interview with Donald Monica, June 9, 2008.

141
He telephoned:
Weng Yu Hui testimony, Sister Ping trial.

141
Sean Chen was aboard:
Interview with Sean Chen, February 6, 2008.

142
Kin Sin Lee had selected:
United States v. Moe, 64 F.3d 245, at 247; letter from United States Attorney Zachary W. Carter to United States District Judge Reena Raggi, re: United States v. Kin Sin Lee, et al., 93 CR 694, April 29, 1994.

142
Sean entered the hatch:
Interviews with Sean Chen, February 6, 2008, and June 5, 2008.

142
The passengers were divided:
Letter from Carter to Raggi, re: United States v. Kin Sin Lee, et al.

142
The hold was hot:
Faison,
South of the Clouds
, p. 124.

142
There was only one bathroom:
Interview with Sean Chen, February 6, 2008.

143
The air grew thick:
Faison,
South of the Clouds
, p. 124.

143
Captain Tobing, Kin Sin Lee:
Sam Lwin testimony in United States v. Huang Shao Ming, et. al., 93-0694; transcript of Fatico hearing.

143
The supply of fresh water:
Mae Cheng,
“Golden Venture
Unfinished Story,”
Newsday
, May 31, 1998.

143
Each passenger was allotted:
Interview with Michael Chen, December 17, 2005.

143
Their skin broke out:
Melinda Liu, Frank Gibney, Jr., Susan Miller, and Tom Morganthau, “The New Slave Trade,”
Newsweek
, June 21, 1993.

143
When they did:
Letter from Carter to Raggi, re: United States v. Kin Sin Lee, et al.

143
Kin Sin Lee was clearly fearful:
Interview with Sean Chen, June 5, 2008; Diana Jean Schemo, “Chinese Immigrants Tell of Darwinian Voyage,”
New York Times
, June 12, 1993.

143
He vowed to throw:
Testimony of Sam Lwin in United States v. Kin Sin Lee, et al., 93 CR 694, June 23, 1994.

143
One man cried:
Interview with Michael Chen, December 17, 2005.

144
Another man brought:
Schemo, “Chinese Immigrants Tell of Darwinian Voyage.”

144
“I think it changed”:
Liu, Gibney, Miller, and Morganthau, “The New Slave Trade.”

144
As the
Golden Venture
neared:
The account of the storm is based on interviews with Sean Chen, Michael Chen, and Dong Xu Zhi.

144
There were no lifeboats:
United States v. Lee Peng Fei, 225 F.3d 167, Second Circuit Court of Appeals, November 4, 1999.

144
After two days the storm subsided:
Sam Lwin testimony in United States v. Huang Shao Ming, et. al., 93-0694; transcript of Fatico hearing. INS officials were aware that the ship had stopped at Cape Infanta, a fact that was confirmed for me in a confidential interview with an official at ICE.

144
Despite the adversity:
The account of the community that emerged is drawn largely from my interview with Michael Chen, but also from interviews with Sean Chen and Dong Xu Zhi.

CHAPTER 9: THE TEANECK MASSACRE

This chapter is based primarily on interviews with law enforcement officials who investigated the Fuk Ching gang, the splinter faction established by Dan Xin Lin, and the murders in Teaneck, New Jersey. In addition to numerous internal FBI investigative files, I drew on a nearly complete case file compiled by the Bergen County Prosecutors Office during the Teaneck investigation, including crime scene reports, witness interviews, autopsy reports, and so forth. I visited Akiva Fleischmann in Teaneck, and he showed me the house where the massacre took place and walked me through the geography of the neighborhood. I also drew on the testimony of Alan Tam and others at the ensuing trial, and on the terrific coverage of the killings and the trial in the
Bergen County Record
.

146
On his identity card:
Identity card for Kwok Ling Kay (aka Guo Liang Qi, aka Ah Kay), issued by the Fukienese American Association. The card was shown to me by Luke Rettler, who has held on to it as a memento of the investigation.

146
One of these newcomers:
Interview/statement of Dan Xin Lin, Bergen County Prosecutors Office, May 26, 1993.

146
Dan Xin had been:
Report of an interview with Ronald Chao, aka China Man, by representatives of the FBI and the Teaneck Police Department, April 5, 1994.

147
Ah Kay was developing:
Interview with Konrad Motyka and Bill McMurry, October 31, 2005.

147
Dan Xin was ambitious:
Ibid.

147
Dan Xin had contacts:
FBI confidential informant report, September 23, 1993, File # 281E-NY-196708.