OAKLAND (BCN) -- An East Bay chemical company and its owner are being indicted on charges of smuggling hazardous materials and conspiracy to defraud the U.S., federal prosecutors announced Friday.
The indictment alleges that 53-year-old Peiwen Zhou of Palo Alto, and his Union City-based company, AK Scientific, conspired to smuggle hazardous materials into the country and illegally transported chemicals them by mislabeling and improperly packaging hazardous materials.
Zhou was the founder, owner and chief executive officer of AK Scientific. The company purchased research and specialty chemicals from chemical supply companies in other countries, including South Korea, Poland, India and New Zealand.
