Richmond Mounties have arrested and charged two males after a fake Chinese gold scheme resurfaced once again.
On Dec. 21 last year, Richmond RCMP was contacted by the most recent victim, who alleged he purchased supposed “priceless” gold Chinese artifacts from two males before discovering the gold was fake.
The Richmond RCMP Economic Crime Unit (ECU) was engaged to investigate and quickly linked it to a second reported incident in Surrey.
By linking these incidents, along with assistance from outside agencies, Richmond RCMP ECU was ultimately able to identify the two suspects associated to both alleged frauds.
“This particular investigation was extremely dynamic and the Richmond RCMP would like to thank the investigators at Canada Border Services Agency and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office,” said ECU supervisor Cpl. Marco Sallinen.
The two suspects were arrested and on Jan. 6, two counts each of fraud over $5,000 were laid against 52-year-old Dejin Xu and 49-year-old Zhong Yang.
Both are Chinese nationals and currently remain in custody.
“This is the second time Richmond RCMP has arrested individuals associated to this type of crime but it’s a crime that knows no boundaries with arrests reportedly having taken place in Japan, Singapore and the United States,” said Richmond RCMP’s Acting Cpl. Adriana Peralta.
This scheme first surfaced in Richmond in 2010 and again in 2015.
In 2015, Richmond RCMP arrested and charged a Chinese national, Bao Sheng Zhong, for a similar scheme involving fake, ancient Chinese gold Buddha figurines and ingots. Zhong was ultimately convicted of fraud and deported back to China.
With the resurfacing of this scheme, Richmond RCMP would like to remind people to remain cautious when anyone attempts to offer or sell something of great value.
In a case like this, they recommend:
*Having all the gold pieces individually tested by an independent testing facility;
*Having legal counsel involved to protect the buyer and seller.
If you or anyone you know is a victim of this type of crime, please contact Richmond RCMP Economic Crime Unit at 604-278-1212. To leave a tip on this crime, email [email protected] or to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
