Chile fines Chinese inmate after cocaine found in maximum-security prison

A Chinese inmate due to enter Chile's maximum-security prison system was found carrying cocaine during a prison search, dealing a setback to the security operation built around his transfer.

Officers searched Haifeng Tang at Santiago Uno prison on August 12, one day before he was moved to La Laguna. They found two sealed bags containing about a gram of powder, and a field test confirmed it was cocaine. The Seventh Guarantee Court of Santiago fined Tang 71,649 pesos, about $75, or allowed a sentence of up to six months if he failed to pay.

Tang is being held on charges of homicide, kidnapping and drug trafficking. He also faces allegations of weapons possession and criminal association. Prosecutors identified the homicide victim as another Chinese citizen and linked Tang to a criminal network.

The ruling was the second in five months involving a Chinese inmate found with cocaine, and prosecutors said the two cases involved the same network. Until last year, authorities had identified only one Chinese criminal network in Chile. They are now pursuing three investigations, involving alleged illegal casinos in Santiago and a fraud operation in the far north.

The discovery and penalty exposed a gap in the transfer process at La Laguna, the prison at the centre of President José Antonio Kast's tough security policy. Tang had been cleared for transfer despite carrying the drug.