Lai Changxing

Lai Changxing (Chinese赖昌星/赖昌星, Pinyin Lai Changxing, born September 15, 1958 in Jinjiang, China; Nickname: Fatty Lai ) is a Chinese businessman and leader of a criminal smuggling organization. On 18 May 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Life

Youth

Lai Changxing has seven siblings. His parents were poor peasants. He attended a school for only three years.

With friends he founded in 1979 a auto repair shop. In 1991 he was adopted by a friend from Hong Kong. This brought him freedom to travel and other business benefits. In 1994 he founded an import and export company called Yuanhua which was established in Xiamen.

Smuggling

Lai Changxing to have been, according to the Chinese authorities between 1996 and 1999 the leader of a smuggling syndicate. The ring is said to have imported goods worth around 5 billion euros by illegally controlled ports and transport routes, gas stations and real estate. It is among other things to cars, oil, cigarettes and electronics. He is accused of bribing business partners, customs officials and functionaries of the Communist Party.

1999 Lai Changxing fled with a speed boat to Hong Kong, then on to Vancouver.

Asylum in Canada

In Canada, Lai Changxing applied for asylum because he threatened torture and the death penalty in China. After nearly twelve years of extradition proceedings, he was finally on the weekend of 23-24. July 2011, however, the Chinese authorities transferred. The Chinese government pledged earlier to condemn Lai Changxing neither death, nor to torture him in the detention and secured a public process as well as lawyer. In April 2012, the trial before the Intermediate People's Court was opened in Xiamen. On 18 May 2012, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for smuggling and active bribery.

Red House

After Lai Changxings escape the " Red House " with massage parlors, karaoke rooms and suites has been seized and should serve as a public " corruption issue ". As it came to an unexpected influx of visitors, the museum was closed after a few weeks and is currently (July 2011) as a training center in operation.