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New York Times Reports on Private Investigators Being Used to Spy on Dissidents in the U.S.

For the last two years, I’ve been posting about China’s practice of hiring private investigators (PIs) to advance their transnational repression campaigns against Chinese dissidents legally living in the United States.

Today, the New York Times reported on that same issue in an article titled, “Iran and China Use Private Detectives to Spy on dissidents in America.”

The reporters interviewed two PIs hired: one by the Chinese and one by Iranian intelligence services, respectively.

It sheds more light on how they were approached by the foreign spies and how the PIs interpreted what was being asked of them.

Were the PIs actually duped or willfully blind?

You decide.

Previous IP Probe Blog Posts on the subject:

August 31, 2022: “NPR Report Highlights Tactics Used by Chinese Spies to Harrass Chinese Dissidents in the U.S.”

July 22, 2022: “Private Investigators Are Routinely Contacted by Chinese Ministry of State securty (MSS) to Do Their dirty Work–UPDATE”

June 15, 2022“Private Investigators Are Routinely Contacted by Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS) to Do Their Dirty Work”

November 2, 2020, “U.S Private Investigator—Former Law Enforcement Officer—Arrested for Conspiring with Chinese Foreign Agents in an Illegal Chinese “Fox Hunt” Operation”

DisclaimerIPProbe.Global is a service to the professional IP community. While every effort has been made to check information in this blog, we provide no guarantees or warranties, express or implied, regarding the content provided in IPProbe.Global. We disclaim all liability and responsibility for the qualification or accuracy of representations made by the contributors or for any disputes that may arise. It is the responsibility of the readers to independently investigate and verify the credentials of such persons and the accuracy and validity of the information provided by them. This blog is for general information only and not intended to provide legal or other professional advice.

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Ron Alvarez is an IP investigations and protection consultant and writer in New York City. He is a former NYPD lieutenant where he investigated robbery, narcotics, internal affairs, and fine art theft cases. Ron has since coordinated the private investigation of international fraud and money laundering cases, as well as IP-related investigations and research involving the four pillars of IP: copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Ron is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and earned a B.A. in Government and Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan. He has written a number of articles for various investigative publications, as well as published "The World of Intellectual Property (IP) Protection and Investigations" in November 2021.

1 comment on “New York Times Reports on Private Investigators Being Used to Spy on Dissidents in the U.S.

  1. Pingback: New York Times Reports on Suspected Chinese-State Police Stations in New York City and Other Parts of the World – IP PROBE – Blog

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