The communist Chinese government has expanded its network of worldwide "unofficial" police stations to monitor its citizens, The Telegraph reports, with new stations in the U.K. operating out of Chinese restaurants or convenience stores.
The Chinese Communist Party operates 54 such stations around the world, according to the report, with 36 of them in Europe.
One of London's two stations is inside a real estate agency, while one in Glasgow, Scotland, is fronted by a Chinese restaurant, The Telegraph reports.
According to a Safeguard Defenders report, the centers track down Chinese citizens suspected of fraud or telecommunications fraud and attempt to have them return home voluntarily through coercive tactics, such as threatening to turn off the electricity to the homes of relatives.
These methods violate the rule of law, but they are considered more speedy by the Chinese government and lessen "scrutiny of its human rights record," according to Safeguard Defenders.
According to Britain's Home Office, "any requests for repatriation of suspected foreign criminals must be made in accordance with U.K. and international law," The Telegraph reported. The office added that "illegal repatriation efforts will not be tolerated."
The Telegraph contacted one such police station in London and was told by a spokesperson that it only helps "overseas Chinese extend their Chinese driver's licenses and arrange required health checks."
According to The Washington Free Beacon, the stations are affiliated with the United Front Work Department, a Communist Party organization that it has reported has deep ties to the Biden administration.
A think tank founded by President Joe Biden's energy czar, John Podesta, has worked heavily with a United Front organization, the Free Beacon wrote. It added that the president's son Hunter Biden helped a United Front Work Department group "gain a foothold in the United States."
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