The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Thursday that they were carrying out police actions aimed at detecting and disrupting these foreign state-backed criminal activities, which may threaten the safety of persons living in Canada.
The RCMP had previously been alerted to three so-called Chinese-operated police service stations allegedly functioning in Toronto last October. Spain-based human rights organisation, Safeguard Defenders, brought the attention of the RCMP to the service stations in Toronto last year.
According to its 2022 report, Safeguard Defenders said that 100 similar stations, backed by China, were strategically located in at least 53 nations including the U.S., UK and Netherlands to “harass, threaten, intimidate and force targets to return to China for persecution”.
The probe has stirred fresh concerns into claims that China was unduly meddling in Canadian domestic affairs, especially in light of underlying speculations that Beijing had tried to sway Canada’s previous elections. While urging additional victims to come forward with their complaints, the federal police claimed to have already received at least 15 useful tips regarding the unlawfully run police stations.
“We’re currently at 15 serious tips received in relation to the presumed Chinese police stations in Montreal and Brossard,” Charles Poirier, RCMP sergeant, said on Monday. “We’re at the analysis stage of these tips and once again we encourage all the victims and witnesses of illegal activities, and all the individuals being affected by pressures, intimidation, or threats to reach out to us.”
The Chinese embassy in Canada had admitted that there were “overseas service stations” but only to help its citizens abroad in renewing documents like driver’s licences and offer assistance where necessary. China had previously denied the existence of any such stations, but experts have claimed that they have been operating in Canada for several years.
The RCMP has not revealed the location of the two service stations in Montreal, but CBC reported that they were situated in the city’s Chinatown and in the suburban area of Brossard. The stations were believed to be staffed by individuals who may not be licensed by any regulatory body to provide policing services in Canada.
The Chinese embassy in Canada denied the allegations and described the report as a “malicious slander” against China. The embassy said that Chinese citizens had the right to travel and work in Canada lawfully and were “not subject to harassment or persecution of any kind”.
The issue comes amid tensions between Canada and China over the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Vancouver in December 2018 on a US warrant. China has since detained two Canadians on espionage charges, widely believed to be in retaliation for Meng’s arrest.
The allegations also follow a growing unease in Canada about Beijing’s increasing influence in the country, particularly through investment in strategic sectors such as technology and infrastructure.
Canadian Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called on the government to take strong action to protect Canadian sovereignty and ensure that Chinese interference in Canadian affairs is not tolerated. He said that Canada should work with its allies to hold China accountable for its actions.
Canada has been stepping up measures to counter foreign interference in the country, including in the lead-up to the 2022 federal election. The government has introduced legislation to prohibit foreign entities from spending money to influence Canadian politics and to require social media platforms to maintain records of political ads.