ELEVEN MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES OF VIOLENT BANYA CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION ARRESTED

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, MARK J. MERSHON, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York Field Division ("FBI"), and PETER J. SMITH, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE"), announced today the arrests of eleven members and associates of the Banya Organization, a criminal organization operating throughout New York City. According to the Indictment, charging thirteen members of the Organization, unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:

The thirteen defendants engaged in wide-ranging criminal activity, including racketeering offenses ("RICO"), assaults in aid of racketeering, kidnapping, extortion, operation of illegal gambling businesses, and narcotics distribution. The Banya Organization regularly resorted to violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and augment its power and illegal money-making activities. Members of the Banya Organization typically originated from the Banya Village in the Fuchow region of China.

WEN MING LIN, a/k/a "Yi Mai;" GUO TONG LIN, a/k/a "Cripple Tong;" XIN LIN, a/k/a "Blackie;" and JIAN MING LIN, a/k/a "Jiang Ming," were leaders of the Banya Organization, supervising the criminal activities of members and associates of the Organization-a violent and organized criminal enterprise based in the Chinatown section of Manhattan and the Flushing section of Queens-and participating directly in the Organization's criminal activities.

In addition to the leaders, ZHAU LIN, a/k/a "Big Flower;" FENG HO LIN, a/k/a "Hammer;" XUE YAN LIN, a/k/a "Vegetable Duck;" CHEN JUNG QING, a/k/a "Fatty;" BING DUAN XU, a/k/a "Xu Bing," a/k/a "Ping Duan;" SHI LIN, a/k/a "Brother Yi Geng;" FNU LNU, a/k/a "Gong Gong;" and FNU LNU, a/k/a "Shan Dong," (the "RICO Defendants") were members of the Banya Organization.

The Indictment charges various defendants with five separate acts of racketeering activity, including two conspiracies to commit extortion of different bus companies, operation of illegal gambling businesses, kidnapping, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics, specifically ketamine.

The Indictment also charges WEN MING LIN, a/k/a "Yi Mai;" GUO TONG LIN, a/k/a "Cripple Tong;" XIN LIN, a/k/a "Blackie;" JIAN MING LIN, a/k/a "Jiang Ming," and several other RICO defendants, with committing assaults in aid of racketeering, including a kidnapping and assaults with a dangerous weapon. A number of these assaults were in furtherance of schemes to commit extortion of bus and van companies by members of the Banya Organization.

Mr. GARCIA praised the work of the FBI and ICE in this investigation, and thanked the New York City Police Department for its role in the case.

Ten defendants were arrested early this morning in Queens, New York in nightclubs and a series of car stops. BING DUAN XU was arrested this morning in Coral Springs, Florida. GUO TONG LIN, a/k/a "Cripple Tong," and FNU LNU, a/k/a "Shan Dong," remain at large.

The defendants who are in custody in New York will be arraigned this afternoon in Manhattan federal court by United States Magistrate Judge RONALD L. ELLIS. BING DUAN XU appeared this morning in Ft. Lauderdale federal court.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office's Organized Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorney STEVE LEE is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.