Alleged Drug Kingpin Contends Australia Illegally Transferred Him to Netherlands, Denies All Allegations

Lawyers of a Canadian national accused of leading a worldwide multibillion-dollar methamphetamine cartel have claimed that he was illegally transferred to the Netherlands. He also said that it was a part of a plot to affirm that he stays in custody for as long as possible. Tse Chi Lop, 57, was arrested in January 2021 following his landing on a flight from Taiwan to Amsterdam's Schipol International Airport.

The alleged leader of the Asian drug syndicate has been compared to Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. He is battling extradition to Australia, saying that he would not get a fair trial there.

Denying Allegations

Tse has denied allegations and is contesting extradition with his attorney. He contended that Australian authorities primarily concocted his expulsion from Taiwan to Canada on a flight with a stopover in the Netherlands in order for him to be arrested there.

Dutch authorities took Tse into custody on a warrant from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) issued in 2019 in association with an operation targeting the drug-trafficking syndicate, Sam Gor, that he is accused of heading.

According to Tse's attorney, Andre Seebregts, he was put on the plane to the Netherlands against his own accord and in contravention of Taiwanese law. The law necessitated the island's authorities to deport him to his home nation unless he agreed otherwise. Seebregts stated there was a direct flight to Canada less than one hour prior to Tse's plane's departure at about 1 AM, reported ABC 17.

Australia seemingly played a role in having Tse transferred to the Netherlands, a nation where he has no family or friends. This could be attributed to favorable Dutch extradition laws, Seebregts contended in court in Rotterdam on Tuesday. The AFP refused to comment on the proceedings of extradition, reported CNN.

According to Seebregts after the hearing, "If Australia was involved in inappropriately turning my client over to the Netherlands, his fair trial rights have already been violated," reported Reuters. He appealed to judges to probe into the circumstances of the arrest prior to concluding on a decision on extradition.

Australia's Attorney General and the Dutch National Prosecutor's Office had no comments. The Ministry of Justice of Taiwan referred to its Immigration Department, which does not respond to an individual case due to privacy reasons. On July 2, the case of Tse will next appear before a Dutch court.

According to prosecutors, the circumstances of Tse's expulsion from Taiwan are irrelevant. Australian investigators indicate Tse's organization corners the $70 billion-a-year Asia-Pacific drug trade.

A majority of extradition agreements between two states necessitate that the nation appealing for custody merely prosecute the suspect for the crime that he or she is extradited for. The stipulation is designated to shield the rights of the defendant. Therefore, they are not in the future charged with anything that could have not been illegal in the nation where they were imprisoned.