Winnipeg researcher charged with smuggling biological material into U.S.

A researcher at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg is facing charges in the United States after allegedly trying to smuggle unidentified biological material across the Manitoba-North Dakota border.

U.S. authorities allege Konan Michel Yao had 22 vials of an unidentified substance in the trunk of his car when he tried to cross the border on May 5. He is charged with smuggling merchandise.

U.S. customs officers allegedly found the vials wrapped in aluminum foil inside a glove and packaged in a plastic bag, along with electrical wires.

www.cbc.ca...



[edit on 13-5-2009 by ZombieSlayer]

Crazy stuff. The National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg is a level 4 lab. It's where they play around with viruses like Ebola and H1N1/swine flu. It's the lab where they decoded the genetic makeup of the swine flu a few days ago and swine flu samples are being sent to.

While it's not known what he has, this crap is starting to make me angry. What the hell is going on..?

Thats crazy because I am from just a few hours south of the boarder in Fargo, I wonder what he was planning to do?

[edit on 13-5-2009 by mephesto]

I got a buddy who's sister works in that lab I will have to see if he can get the story from his sister to see just what happened there.

Wow! I assume this stuff came from Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg? If so... this is a very, very big deal. That lab is world class and can handle and identify the most dangerous bugs known to man. The only other one in the western hemisphere is CDC in Atlanta. You can bet that what he was carrying was at the very least... dangerous as hell. Normally that kind of material is transported under armed guard. This guy is likely to never set foot outside a jail cell again. I'll bet my bottom dollar that his guy is not a Canadian national.

[edit on 13-5-2009 by Albertarocks]

Oops! Sorry Zombie, I missed that you'd identified the lab in question. That's not good news.


[edit on 13-5-2009 by Albertarocks]

reply to post by Ellirium113


I doubt you'll get any info, you can try though. By the nature of their job they're basically sworn to secrecy and can get into a lot of trouble for leaking any info. Trust me I've tried. My brother in law works at the Winnipeg Microbiology Laboratory and he's one of the scientists who works with all the nasty viruses like Ebola and now Swine Flu. Last year he was sent to the Congo to contain an Ebola outbreak and I was asking him questions about it and he told me straight up that they're not allowed to say much about anything concerning their job. A friend of mine also works at the lab and she says the same thing. It's frustrating.

This is being discussed in the Breaking News section also.
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by Albertarocks
I'll bet my bottom dollar that his guy is not a Canadian national.

The MSM reports state that he's originally from the Ivory Coast...

Security procedures under review at National Microbiology Lab

Health officials are reviewing security at Winnipeg's National Microbiology Lab after a former researcher was caught allegedly trying to smuggle biological material into the United States.

Link: www.cbc.ca...

Rumsfeld'll be pissed!

Ebola gene theft a shocker

"We don't search people when they leave the building," Plummer said, during a teleconference from Ottawa. "I don't think that would be appropriate."

"This individual had secret security clearance and we relied on his integrity."

Winnipeg Centre MP Pat Martin said people who live near a facility that contains infectious viruses and disease deserve a clear, transparent explanation on how someone can walk out the door with vials of anything. Martin said the incident is cause for grave concern that no one escorted the researcher out on his last day to check whether he took anything he wasn't supposed to.

www.winnipegfreepress.com...

What is odd about this story is on the news here in North Dakota, they say that he was a low level employee who was working on meaninless projects, and just didn't want to start from scratch at his new job in the US. And from the other stories I am hearing, it sounds like they are telling us different stories to keep us from being worried about this potential breach that nearly happened to us(north dakotans). It seems like they are passivly dissmissing the sevarity of the event.

[edit on 15-5-2009 by mephesto]

Lab didn't tell police 22 vials stolen
www.winnipegfreepress.com...

Community reps meet on lab safety
www.winnipegfreepress.com...

Committee says lab-sample theft not a big deal

WINNIPEG — It's the federally appointed watchdog that's supposed to stand guard on behalf of the community which is home to the National Microbiology lab.

But the local community liaison committee says a major security breach inside the facility containing the world's deadliest pathogens is nothing to bark at.

Members of the committee met with scientific director Dr. Frank Plummer and a communications official from the lab on Friday to probe how a former Winnipeg researcher was able to walk out of the lab with 22 vials of biological material in January. Some of the vials included genes from the deadly Ebola virus.

www.winnipegfreepress.com...

reply to post by ZombieSlayer


You just said what I thought when I read your post about the theft- it's a Level 4 lab. CDC guidelines for lab personnel dealing with swabs from suspected cases are urged to work at "enhanced Level3"- essentially Level4 if we're being honest with ourselves- it's on CDC.gov.

The flu has burned through the US and Canada- seems like we might have given it to Mexico, and not the other way around. Kids on spring break, the Presidential entourage there the week it "broke", etc. Too many coincidences not to have a basis in reality- we just hae to prove it- and you're a big step closer. Combine that with the Ft. Detrick thefts and picture gets even uglier.

Well done- star and flag!

reply to post by Albertarocks


Alberta- Winnipeg and CDC are the only labs who have "official" Level 4 labs- but USAMRIID, Detrick, ONL, Argonne and others do work that's Level 4 at enhanced Level 3- it's a tidy euphemism for Level 4 and allows people NOT to believe that there are deadly, uncurable diseases ALL over the country.
As well, Porton Down in the UK, the Institut Pasteur, multiple labs in Russia, etc., all have Level 4 or enchance Level 3-

I left a government lab (had a clearance) HAPPILY some years ago due to what we were asked to work with. And as recently as last year, 10s of billions of dollars have been appropriated to retrofit the American labs to be a new kind of Level 4- a sort of enhanced Level 4. The Gov. clearly thinks it's necessary to have these bugs in as many labs as possible- advanced knowledge, bio-/chem war preparedness? Take your pick.

reply to post by ZombieSlayer


I was searched DAILY going into a cleared position at a Gov lab- by Marines- but NEVER searched on my way out. Am i crazy or is that bass-ackward?????

Update

Canadian researcher pleads guilty to attempted smuggling

A Canadian vaccine researcher accused of smuggling genetic material from the Ebola virus into the United States has pleaded guilty.

Konan Michel Yao was sentenced to 17 days in jail and fined $500 Friday in federal court. He pleaded guilty to failure to present merchandise for inspection and was placed in custody of U.S. Customs.

Authorities say Yao was on arrested May 5 for trying to sneak 22 vials of the biological substance into the country at the Pembina port of entry in North Dakota.

Court documents showed Yao took the vials on his last day of work at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, so he wouldn't have to start over on his research.

The 42-year-old Yao had been working on a vaccine for the Ebola virus and HIV.

Link: www.winnipegfreepress.com...