Known as the "Asian Drug Kingpin," Che Chi Lop, the boss of the Chinese-speaking drug organization "Sam Gor," has been pursued by investigative authorities from various countries. Photo by Sky News Australia.
[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] The 'Asia Drug King,' who operated the largest drug organization in Asia and traded drugs worth 77 trillion won annually, was finally arrested through international police cooperation.
On the 22nd (local time), Dutch police announced that they arrested Che Chi Lop (57), a Chinese-Canadian wanted by Interpol, at Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport at the request of the Australian Federal Police, CNN reported.
The Netherlands plans to soon deport Che to Australia.
Australian police have been conducting international joint investigations for over 10 years to track Che, issued an arrest warrant in 2019, and requested Interpol to issue a red notice.
Che is suspected of supplying drugs worth 70 billion dollars (approximately 77.35 trillion won) annually in the Asia-Pacific region. Australian police estimate that 70% of the illegal drugs distributed within the country come from Che's drug organization.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime stated, "Che Chi Lop is a major drug lord, and this arrest should not be underestimated," adding, "As of 2018, the estimated revenue from methamphetamine (Philopon) sales alone reached 17 billion dollars (approximately 18.785 trillion won)."
Che is known to have based himself in Toronto, Canada, in recent years, trafficking drugs while traveling between Macau, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. He reportedly manufactured precursor substances for drug synthesis in Myanmar to evade police surveillance and distributed them to neighboring countries including Bangkok, delivering even to distant locations such as Australia and Japan.
The organization is understood to operate worldwide, including in South Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
Meanwhile, Che was previously arrested in the United States in the 1990s on drug trafficking charges and served nine years in prison. Australia has estimated Che as the boss of the Chinese-Australian drug organization 'Sam Gor' (meaning 'third brother' in Cantonese), the largest drug syndicate in Asia, and Australian media have hailed Che's arrest as the greatest achievement of the federal police in the past 20 years.
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