Monterey Park : 3 Charged in Smuggling

A Monterey Park couple, suspected by U.S. Customs officials of running the largest Asian medicine smuggling operation in the western United States, are among three people to be arraigned on conspiracy and smuggling charges Monday in Los Angeles federal court.

Ka Hung Ming, 35, who went by the name of Tony Ming, and his wife, Queinnie Wee Cheung, 32, allegedly shipped to a Garvey Avenue warehouse in Rosemead 12 containers of illegal Chinese drugs with a street value of $10 million or more, said Assistant U. S. Atty. Marc S. Harris.

Also to be arraigned Monday is alleged co-conspirator Alan Tsai, 38, a private, licensed customs agent from El Segundo, who allegedly arranged for the shipments using the name of a furniture store.

Cheung and Tsai are free on $50,000 bail. Ming is free on $200,000 bail.

The smuggling operation is believed to have existed for four years, beginning in July, 1990, Harris said. Drugs were purchased from Hong Kong companies and shipped to the United States in 40-foot containers. The boxes were fraudulently labeled as rosewood furniture or plastic articles.

The drugs included illegal Chinese herbs, prescription medicines, narcotics and a drug called Black Pearl or Tung Shueh. The drug contains diazepam, the active ingredient in the tranquilizer Valium, Harris said.