Canada arrests retired police officer on charges of working ‘to benefit’ China

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (‘RCMP’), the country’s federal police force, said William Majcher, age 60, was charged with conspiracy and ‘Preparatory acts for the benefit of a foreign entity’ under the Security of Information Act.

It said he had used ‘his extensive network of contacts in Canada to obtain intelligence or services to benefit the People’s Republic of China’ and that according to an investigation by the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (‘INSET’) launched in 2021, ‘It is alleged that he contributed to the Chinese government’s efforts to identify and intimidate an individual outside the scope of Canadian law.’

‘The RCMP has a mandate to detect and disrupt foreign interference attempts. It investigates activities by individuals that pose a risk to Canadian institutions and the economy,’ RCMP  said, 21 July.

It added: ‘Foreign actor interference is a priority for many law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world. The use of these kinds of covert and unofficial operations in Canada by persons mandated by a foreign state is likely to undermine Canada’s democratic and judicial processes and threaten Canada’s sovereignty.

‘The RCMP and its partners are working together with vulnerable sectors to improve Canada’s response and resiliency to this threat.’

Majcher is an expert in ‘trade-based money laundering’ investigations, according to a biography posted online by a public relations firm.

It said he relocated to Hong Kong in 2006 ‘to establish an international banking platform on behalf of a Hong Kong merchant bank, representing a number of Chinese state-owned and non-state owned enterprise clients engaged in overseas capital market activities.’

Majcher has launched several businesses, including EMIDR, a Corporate Risk firm that deploys military grade cyber technology to assist in cyber security and asset recovery operations, according to the bio.