THIS is the moment dozens of Chinese police forced their way into a building in Fiji and arrested 77 suspects accused of committing cyber scams.
Footage shows how the Chinese police smashed down doors, hooded and handcuffed the alleged offenders, before herding them onto a private plane.
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The Fijian police can be seen idly standing by as the arrests are carried out – which critics are viewing as evidence of China’s increasing control over the region.
The 77 alleged cyber scammers, who are thought to be Chinese citizens, are then forced to sit in between rows of police officers on the plane back to China.
A translation of the overlaying Chinese caption in the video obtained by 60 Minutes reads: “No matter how far away, they [the criminal suspects] will be arrested.”
Although the video was taken back in 2017, China specialist Graeme Smith told the outlet that the Chinese police have been carrying out raids like this on a weekly basis.
He said: “It’s a very disturbing path because these sorts of operations are happening all over the world.
“Our team estimated this is happening twice a week, every week, all over the globe, but the Pacific example is a pretty concerning one.”
Smith added that the video clearly shows Chinese authorities acting as if they have control and precedence over the Fijian police.
He said: “The Fijian police are there, but only really in the background, and they are, to all intents and purposes, treating Fijian soil as Chinese soil.
Smith went on to argue that the Fijian police absolutely ceded sovereignty and have now set a very bad precedent.
In carrying out this covert operation, the Chinese authorities completely overrode Fiji’s legal and policing systems, he said.
The Chinese embassy in Fiji asserted that the law and police co-operation between the two countries has always been “professional, open and transparent”.
Yet, the deported suspects in the video, and others from across the globe, will be facing “justice” back in China’s court system.
Smith has criticised China’s actions for overstepping, and said that it was evidence of China’s desperate attempts to increase control over its neighbours.
It comes amid calls from Fiji’s prime minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, for China to retreat from the region.
Rabuka has suggested that Beijing’s influence has been risking the stability of the region.
Island nations in the Pacific have found themselves in the middle of a battle between Western countries like Australia and the US facing up against China to gain influence and control.
China has been desperately trying to strike deals with island nations like Fiji, but Rabuka has said he does not trust or understand China’s agenda.
Over the last decade China has scrambled to strengthen its ties between these nations – using aid and diplomacy to get islands to join forces with them.
Back in 2022, the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising concerns that Beijing could expand its military bases across the region.
Although Australia is the leading source of bilateral loans in the Pacific, China continues to try and extend its arm across the region.
It comes amid intensifying concerns that China is readying itself to take Taiwan by force.
China regards the self-governing island as part of its territory – and has vowed to take the nation by force if necessary, carrying out ever more regular invasion rehearsals.
Taiwan insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China in 1949.
Chinese officials described 2024’s election as a choice “between war and peace” in a chilling warning shot to Taiwanese voters.
Although China insists it wants to use political and economic pressure to “reunify” with Taiwan – it has not ruled out the use of force.
The nation is feared to be a major flashpoint between the US and Beijing – with a potential invasion forcing the US to abandon the island or face a full-scale war with China that could spiral into World War Three.
China has also been attempting to extend its control over its own citizens – with new regulations to police people who do not tidy their homes.
The South China Morning Post reported that under the draconian new policies, Chinese officials will be fining citizens that fail to live up to new standards of cleanliness.
The fine for failing to make your bed or wash your dishes is set to be 10-yuan (£1.12). Citizens will also be fined 20-yuan (£2.24) if they squat whilst eating.
The new rules have sparked fierce debate across the country, as citizens have started questioning whether the government should be allowed to invade so intrusively into home life.
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