China demanded Meng Wanzhou’s return after bullets were sent to her Vancouver home, says security chief

China’s consulate demanded the immediate return of Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou after “threatening letters” containing bullets were delivered to the home where she has been living in Vancouver under partial house arrest, the head of the private security team guarding her said in court on Wednesday.

Douglas Maynard, president of Lions Gate Risk Management, told the Supreme Court of British Columbia that the firm was informed of the consulate’s demands by Canada’s foreign ministry. He did not say when the alleged threats were made.

Maynard was testifying at a bail hearing in which Meng is seeking the removal of the guards, who are tasked with preventing her escaping custody when she is outside the home. This represents an adjustment of the conditions of her C$10 million (US$7.8 million) bail while she fights extradition to the United States on fraud charges.

Five or six of the threatening letters were sent to Meng by mail, and delivered by Canada Post. They were “easily identified by markings on the envelopes”, Maynard told Mr Justice William Ehrcke.

“Sometimes there were bullets inside the envelopes, so we wanted to secure that evidence as best we could,” said Maynard, adding that Vancouver police were in charge of investigating the threats.

The letters had required “translation” and appeared to be coming from the same individual or individuals, Maynard said, without specifying whether they were written in Chinese.

“When the threats were being investigated, there was an immediate demand made through [Global Affairs Canada] to have Ms Meng returned to China, because of those threats,” said Maynard. He clarified that the demand was made by China’s consulate, and Lions Gate was informed of it by Global Affairs Canada, via Vancouver police.