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From the time of their arrest up until this week, all five had been appearing in IRB hearings to determine whether they are inadmissible in Canada due to involvement with organized crime. At the same time, they faced separate criminal proceedings. Either process could have resulted in deportation.

On Monday, the four women alleged to have conspired with Huo in the “ghost scam” pleaded guilty in Vancouver Provincial Court to charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000. They were ordered to forfeit the stolen goods.

Huo himself followed suit, pleading guilty to the same charge on Wednesday.

Shortly after the four women’s guilty pleas this week, they were deported from Canada, Huo’s lawyer Jack Wang said Thursday outside his client’s hearing.

Then, later on Thursday afternoon during Huo’s admissibility hearing, minister’s counsel Marin Debruyn told the room that in the wake of Huo’s guilty plea in court the day before, CBSA had also issued a deportation order for him. He was scheduled to be removed from the country Friday.

Debruyn said: “This case is the first of its kind, as far as I know, in terms of people committing Asian blessing scams. And it quite likely it will not be the last.”

Huo’s last full day in Canada

Clad in his red prison jumpsuit, Huo appeared calm and relaxed Thursday. He slouched in his chair and spoke through a Mandarin interpreter. He did not visibly react when the interpreter relayed that he was to be deported from Canada.