Sam Gor Drug Syndicate in Southeast Asia


In the past few months, two top members of the Sam Gor drug syndicate (known as "The Company") have been arrested around the world. The AFP estimates that "The Company" traffics cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and heroin all across Southeast Asia. In 2018, the UNODC predicted the drug syndicate made over $17 billion from trafficking methamphetamines. The AFP is the head agency of the Operation Kungur taskforce which aims to bring down the drug syndicate.

In October 2020, Lee Chung Chak, a senior member of the drug syndicate, was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand by the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In January, AFP made tremendous progress by arresting Tse Chi Lop, the suspected leader of Sam Gor. Many officials compare Tse to Latin America's Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. These are significant arrests for the AFP as it is very "rare for suspected senior drug traffickers to be arrested and successfully prosecuted in the Asia-Pacific region".


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-thailand-drugs-arrest-idUSKBN2A6038

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