A Chinese scientist was apprehended at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Sunday for allegedly importing biological material into the US, the third such arrest in recent days, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have confirmed.

Details Of The Arrest

The scientist, a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was detained upon arrival from China, intending to work on a year-long project at the University of Michigan. According to an FBI court filing, she had previously sent biological material—linked to specific worms and requiring a government permit—to university lab staff. Shipments, including one concealed in a book, were intercepted last year and earlier this year.

John Nowak, CBP’s head of field operations, said, “Guidelines for importing biological materials for research are stringent but clear, and such actions undermine legitimate scholarly work.” The researcher is being held in jail, pending a bond hearing on Wednesday, June 11.

Security Concerns Raised

Although the court document did not say whether the material was hazardous, US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said such smuggling is a security threat. UC Berkeley biologist Michael Shapira explained to the Associated Press that the material seems to be non-hazardous but said there are stringent regulations that control transporting biological samples.

Pattern Of Incidents

This arrest comes on the heels of two other similar incidents last week of Chinese scientists suspected of importing a poisonous fungus. One was deported from Detroit airport in 2024, and another University of Michigan researcher is still in jail. The sequence of events has put biological material importations under the spotlight against the backdrop of US-China tensions.

Ongoing Investigation

The authorities are probing the intention of the scientist as well as the nature of the materials. The case highlighted the dilemma of weighing academic cooperation against national security, with more information due after the bond hearing.