US asked for 39 people to be extradited from Hong Kong between 2002 and 2019

Suspects from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, mainland China, the US and the Philippines wanted on charges including money laundering, counterfeit goods, narcotics, fraud and bribery, United States Marshals Service says

Hong Kong made 19 such requests to the US in the same period

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The US asked for 39 suspects to be extradited from Hong Kong between 2002 and 2019. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 12:00pm, 8 Nov 2020Updated: 10:44pm, 8 Nov 2020

The United States requested 39 suspects be extradited from Hong Kong between 2002 and 2019, more than twice the number made in the opposite direction, according to US government figures released after Washington suspended its extradition treaty with the city.

The United States Marshals Service (USMS) said 58 extradition requests were made by the two sides in the period. The information was shared with the South China Morning Post in response to a freedom of information request filed in July, when the US moved to suspend its extradition agreement with Hong Kong.

The US decision was made in response to Beijing imposing a national security law in Hong Kong at the end of June, which many saw as an erosion of the city’s freedoms and autonomy. Australia, Britain and Canada also ended their extradition treaties with the city.

The USMS data showed the US had requested Hong Kong extradite individuals – whose names were redacted for privacy concerns – facing money laundering, counterfeit goods, narcotics, fraud and bribery charges, among others.

The subjects were citizens of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pakistan, mainland China, the United States and the Philippines.

The 19 extradition requests made by Hong Kong were for individuals from mainland China, Hong Kong, the US and Ghana. They were wanted on charges of fraud, theft and bribery.

The US asked Hong Kong to extradite individuals facing money laundering, counterfeiting, narcotics, fraud and bribery charges. Photo: Dickson Lee

The figures provided by the USMS might not cover all extradition requests between the two jurisdictions, given the various exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act, which cover information that would be invasive to personal privacy, might endanger the individuals concerned, or involve law enforcement officers or government employees.