Suspected members of the organisation also have high level links to governments across the region, having invested in large infrastructure ventures under the Chinese Communist Party’s Belt and Road Scheme, a massive economic project that aims to build trade and transport links from East Asia to Europe. A 2012 briefing from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission described The Company’s members “well-established network of contacts across many governments as well as legitimate business and company structures, that enables them to mask and support their criminal activities . Last year, AFP deputy commissioner Karl Kent described the organisation as “being a huge threat to Australia … not only in terms of illicit drugs but in terms of people smuggling, in terms of firearms.” In a
Dutch police say they had arrested the alleged leader of an Asian drug syndicate who is listed as one of the world's most-wanted fugitives and has been compared to Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Explainer: The arrest of Asia s most-wanted drug boss Tse Chi Lop
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that Tse s drug syndicate earned as much as $17 billion from trafficking drugs in 2018. Reuters
Reuters
Dutch authorities have arrested 57-year old Canadian national Tse Chi Lop at the request of the Australia Federal Police after a long probe into drug trafficking in the Asia-Pacific.
Tse had been on a global most-wanted list and was of significant interest to law enforcement agencies in multiple countries, said Dutch and Australian police.
WHO IS TSE CHI LOP?
Tse - known by his nickname Sam Gor , Brother Number Three in Cantonese - is the alleged senior leader of a sprawling transnational drug trafficking syndicate known as The Company to its members or, to some police, the Sam Gor syndicate.
BBC News
Published
image captionTse Chi Lop was arrested at Amsterdam airport on Friday
Police in the Netherlands have arrested the alleged head of one of the world s biggest drugs gangs, on a warrant issued by Australia.
Tse Chi Lop - a Chinese-born Canadian national - is said to be the head of The Company, which dominates a $70bn illegal drugs market across Asia.
Listed as one of the world s most wanted fugitives, Mr Tse was detained at Amsterdam s Schiphol airport.
Australia will now seek his extradition to face trial there.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) believe The Company, also known as the Sam Gor Syndicate, is responsible for up to 70% of all illegal drugs entering the country.