Dwell
An accused world drug kingpin has been escorted from a Melbourne court docket to jail in an armored police car after being extradited from Europe to face justice.
Nearly two years after he was arrested within the Netherlands, Canadian nationwide Tse Chi Lop arrived on a flight into Melbourne Airport on Thursday, surrounded by federal law enforcement officials.
The 59-year-old, sporting black-rimmed glasses and a darkish shirt, didn’t apply for bail as he confronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court docket simply after 10.30am.
Tse has been charged with conspiring with three different folks to visitors a industrial amount of medicine into Melbourne and elsewhere between March 15, 2012 and March 20, 2013, in line with court docket paperwork.
He initially appeared through video hyperlink from cells beneath the constructing, however was later introduced into the court docket dock flanked by two custody officers.
Tse waved to his lawyer and a male supporter seated on the entrance of the court docket, earlier than he sat down. The court docket listening to was translated to him through a Cantonese interpreter.
The Australian Federal Police will allege Tse conspired to visitors 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, which had a road worth of as much as $4.Four million and was cut up up into separate portions.
He was charged in October 2019, following a decade-long investigation into transnational organized crime syndicate Sam Gor, often known as The Firm.
Tse was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport on January 22 final 12 months by Dutch officers after the AFP requested an INTERPOL purple discover for his provisional arrest.
His barrister Paul Smallwood requested his shopper be seen by a nurse to obtain remedy for hypertension whereas in custody.
“There might be no software for bail,” he instructed the court docket on Thursday.
Mr Smallwood mentioned he anticipated the protection to be served a “wealth of data” on the case by the AFP, with the temporary of proof ordered to be handed over by January 11.
Justice of the Peace Martin Grinberg remanded Tse in custody to face a committal point out on February 16 with one other man, 66, who’s alleged to be his co-accused.
Victoria Police escorted Tse to jail utilizing its Bearcat armored car, about 1pm on Thursday.
Exterior court docket, AFP Assistant Commissioner Krissy Barrett described Tse’s arrest as “extraordinarily important” not just for the pressure however for the Australian group.
“It might be probably the most important arrests within the historical past of the (pressure),” she instructed reporters.
-AAP
