Canada police probe alleged Chinese 'police stations' in Montreal

OTTAWA, (Reuters) Canadian Police said yesterday they are investigating allegations that two Montreal-area centres are being used as Chinese state-backed "police stations" to intimidate or harass Canadians of Chinese origin.

The investigation adds to mounting allegations of Chinese interference in Canada's internal affairs, including accusations by Ottawa that Beijing tried to influence the last two Canadian elections. China has denied those accusations.

"We are carrying out police actions aimed at detecting and disrupting these foreign state-backed criminal activities, which may threaten the safety of persons living in Canada," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Quebec said in a statement.

Countries including the United States and the Netherlands have conducted similar probes following a report in September by Safeguard Defenders, a Europe-based human rights organization, detailing the presence of dozens of Chinese police "service stations" in major cities globally.

In November, the RCMP also launched an investigation into similar reports of Chinese "police service stations" in the

Toronto area. The RCMP in Ontario did not respond to a request for information on that probe on Thursday.

The RCMP's deputy commissioner for federal policing, Michael Duheme, told a parliamentary committee last week that the agency has "taken overt actions" that led to the ceasing of operations at four alleged Chinese police stations.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa did not respond to a request for comment. It has previously said that there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic.