Tse Chi Lop: ‘Asia’s El Chapo’ extradited to Australia

Tse Chi Lop, widely known as “Asia’s El Chapo,” has been extradited from Thailand to Australia to face charges related to his involvement in international drug trafficking. El Chapo is a former Mexican drug lord and leader of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, which ran the majority of the narcotics trade in Mexico for two decades.

Tse Chi Lop is accused of being the ringleader of the Sinaloa Cartel-like organization known as the “Bamboo Union.” He has been accused of leading this organization since 2006, using sophisticated methods of drug trafficking and money laundering to purchase drugs in Southeast Asia and distribute them to North America and Europe. In 2017, the estimated revenue generated from these activities was as high as $17 billion, making it one of the largest drug cartels in the world.

Lop, who is a Canadian citizen of Chinese descent, was arrested in Bangkok in March 2020. Since then, he has been held in a maximum-security Thai prison while awaiting his extradition to Australia. On Monday, October 26th, Lop was whisked away from Bangkok to face charges in Australia in what is seen as a major victory for international law enforcement.

Upon his arrival in Australia on Tuesday, October 27th, Lop was arrested and taken into custody. He faces multiple charges related to his involvement in transnational drug trafficking and money laundering. The maximum penalty for these charges ranges from 10 years to life in prison.

Prosecutors in Australia have alleged that, in addition to trafficking drugs and money laundering, Lop was also involved in the illegal gold trade and had extensive links to organized crime syndicates in China. Lop is thought to have been living lavishly in Bangkok and is allegedly connected to multiple businesses in Southeast Asia.

The extradition of Tse Chi Lop is being lauded as a significant success in the fight against transnational organized crime. It marks the first time in history that a leader of an international drug trafficking organization has been extradited from a foreign country to face charges in another country.

Lop’s detention and extradition also send a strong signal to other international criminal organizations that prosecution and punishment will be swift and direct. The successful extraditions of Lop in Canada and Thailand demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are actively collaborating to address the issue of transnational organized crime.

Though the ordeal is far from over, the extradition of Tse Chi Lop to Australia is a major victory and sends a clear message that justice will be served. It shows that the international community is willing to work together to bring those responsible for illegal activities across borders to justice.