A 66-year-old Chinese-British dual national accused of being involved in a conspiracy to traffic multiple quantities of illegal drugs in Australia has been extradited from Thailand to face court in Australia.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers, with assistance from the Royal Thai Police, extradited the man from Bangkok to Melbourne. His extradition is part of a long-running investigation into a prolific transnational organised crime syndicate.
The man is alleged to be a senior criminal associate of the syndicate’s head, and the AFP will allege the man was part of a conspiracy to traffic five separate quantities of methamphetamine (or derivatives or the drug) totaling 40kg over a 12-month period in 2012.
The man has appeared before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to face a charge of conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of a controlled drug. The maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the persistent work of investigators over several years leading to this arrest demonstrated the AFP’s commitment to tracking down criminals who attempted to operate overseas in the hope of avoiding Australian law enforcement.
“The Australian Federal Police has an international network of partners committed to pursuing transnational organised crime offenders and bringing them to justice. If you commit an offence, there is nowhere to hide, and the AFP will track you down,” Assistant Commissioner Barrett said.
“The extradition of someone we allege to be high on the pecking order of this serious criminal syndicate is a significant milestone for the AFP. It shows that the AFP and its partners remain one step ahead in working tirelessly to keep our community safe.”
