Asia's El Chapo, the man allegedly at the center of the biggest crime syndicate in the continent, faced the same destiny as his namesake as he was captured by Dutch authorities and is now facing extradition pushed by Australian authorities.
Tse Chi Lop, one of the world's most wanted was born a Chines but is now a Canadian national was detained after Australian police requested on Friday.
Asia's $70B Drug Ring
Thomas Aling, spokesman of the Dutch police, said that it was the Australian police who led the investigation on the Asian drug kingpin's organization which the drug trade in the Asia-Pacific, which is estimated to be worth at least US$70 billion annually.
According to South China Morning Post, Reuters reviewed several documents along with statements from anti-narcotic officers from four different countries which reveal that Tse has moved across Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau in recent years.
Meanwhile, it was only on Sunday that Australian authorities revealed that a man who was very significant to the law was already in the hands of the police. It was later confirmed by a spokeswoman that the name of the person of interest was 'Tse Chi Lop'.
Asia's El Chapo
Since he was dubbed as the king of the Asian drug ring, Tse has been compared to Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, the head of Mexico's notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also named him as the alleged leader of "Sam Gor," Asia's mega-cartel, which is known to be one of the biggest suppliers and producers of methamphetamine worldwide.
Sam Gor, which translates to "brother number three" in Cantonese, is also said to be one of the nicknames of Asia's El chapo.
Moreover, the syndicate is also believed to have laundered its drug money through businesses that continue to sprout in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia. These include hotels, casinos, and real estate.
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Decade-long Pursuit
The group is also accused of importing huge amounts of methamphetamine and heroin into Australia, which is one of the long-existing drug trafficker markets.
According to The New York Times, Australia police stated that Australia is one of the targets of the drug syndicate over the past years. Sam Gor distributed a substantial amount of narcotics in the country and laundered its profit overseas, allowing them to live off the wealth that they achieved through the heinous crime.
Back in 2012 up until 2013, more than $7million worth of assets were seized by the police which was allegedly from the drug ring. The assets included casino chips, jewelry, designer handbags, and cash.
Tse's arrest is considered a major breakthrough in the pursuit of the Australian authorities for Sam Gor, which has lasted for almost a decade.
In a statement, UNODC Southeast Asia and Pacific representative lined Tse to the likes of Mexico's El Chapo and Pablo Escobar.
It was noted that the attorney-general of Australia will immediately prepare the formal extradition against Asia's El Chapo so the trial can begin, Daily Mail reported.
