YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A Hong Kong man who authorities say procured equipment stolen from military installations and smuggled it into the United States has been arrested and indicted.
Leung Kwok Kuen, also known as Andy Leung, was arrested Monday night at San Francisco International Airport and later indicted, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan. The indictment, filed in 2008 and unsealed Tuesday, accuses Leung of smuggling 10 laser-aiming devices and a pair of night-vision goggles between 2005 and 2009.
Leung faces 28 charges: eight counts of import smuggling: eight counts for falsely declaring the goods; another eight counts for falsely classifying the goods, which was done at lower values; and, four counts of unauthorized sale of U.S. government property.
He faces a maximum of 142 years in prison.
Infrared laser-aiming devices are generally mounted on weapons to improve accuracy. Night-vision goggles were frequently used on patrols and raids in Iraq and continue to be used in Afghanistan. They are also used in training missions worldwide.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office jointly coordinated the investigation.
The indictment does not mention where law enforcement officials say the stolen equipment originated; however, military equipment has been stolen and sold on multiple occasions at U.S. bases in Asia.
In 2008, a pair of night-vision goggles was stolen from a unit at Camp Casey in South Korea. A pawn shop in the area known as TA-50 Alley — a reference to army tactical gear — was placed off-limits around the same time for selling stolen body armor.
