Chinese student held in Japan for exporting helicopter infrared camera through Hong Kong
The student told the police that he used the money for living costs and to cover his university fees
A Chinese exchange student is being questioned by police in Tokyo over the illegal export of an advanced infrared night vision camera to a company in China.
The 22-year-old student, who has not been named, is understood to have bought the Star Safire III camera on an internet auction site.
The equipment, which is manufactured by Oregon-based FLIR Systems Inc. and is used extensively by the US military as a long-range thermal imager and ultra long-range spotter scope, was originally fitted in a disaster response helicopter operated by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Shikoku.
When the camera was replaced by an upgraded version in September 2015, a recycling company was contracted to dispose of the equipment.
Within two months, however, the camera had been bought by the Chinese student for Y550,000 (US$5,000).
He subsequently offered it to a company in Guangzhou for Y2.5 million and exported it to China through Hong Kong without obtaining the necessary permits for the transfer of sensitive technology overseas.
A new Star Safire III costs more than US$450,000, but controls on exports of sensitive technology to China have until now prevented the export of any units to China.