RCMP investigating Chinese ‘police stations’ in Montreal and Brossard

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating alleged Chinese “police stations” in Montreal and Brossard.

An RCMP spokesperson confirmed Thursday morning that Quebec’s national security team has launched investigations into two “police stations” in the province possibly run by the Chinese government.

Speaking with CityNews Sgt. Charles Poirier of the RCMP confirmed the two locations under investigation are the Centre Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud, in Brossard, on the South Shore of Montreal and the Service à la Famille Chinoise du Grand Montréal, in Montreal’s Chinatown.

“The threat is huge. Actually it’s nothing less than an attack on our democracy,” said Poirier.

“Pressuring or threatening the Chinese community in Canada to further the Communist Party of China’s agenda, which would constitute, if true, foreign interference on Canadian soil.”

The RCMP said Chinese Canadians may have been victims of possible activities at the centres, and says it will not tolerate any form of intimidation, harassment or harmful targeting.

The RCMP is taking police action “to detect and disrupt these foreign state-sponsored criminal activities that may threaten the safety of people living in Canada.”

The RCMP is not providing further details at the moment due to ongoing investigations.

“The RCMP takes threats to the safety of people living in Canada very seriously and is aware that foreign states may seek to intimidate or cause harm to communities or individuals in Canada,” the force said in a written statement.

“With this investigation, we need the public’s assistance and it’s very hard to obtain. The community is very reluctant to speak with us and we understand. Some of these individuals are being threatened by agents in China,” Poirier stated later on Thursday.

“Once we gather enough evidence we’ll see what our course of action will be. Foreign interference investigations are very complex and don’t always lead to arrests.”

During a Thursday morning scrum, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he is “extremely concerned” about alleged Chinese police stations set up in Montreal and Brossard.

Trudeau said this showed that the primary targets of foreign interference were the diaspora from different countries in Canada.

“We’re making sure that the RCMP is following up on this and that our intelligence systems are taking this seriously,” he said. “It’s an issue that we’re very concerned about.”

RCMP are urging anyone who feels threatened harassed or intimidated online or in-person to report the incident by calling a special phone line they have set up 514-939-8301.

With files from The Canadian Press