The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on February 19 that 41-year-old Mei Lin, a Chinese-born businesswoman, should be considered a suburban mother who leads an international business empire. However, she was recently arrested in Brisbane for assisting the transport of 71.5 kg of methamphetamine from Papua New Guinea (PNG) to Australia using an illegitimate flight. Ms. Lin’s stronghold in a transnational crime syndicate involved in drug smuggling is the main reason behind her arrest.
After six months of coordinated work between Australian and PNG law enforcement following the seizure of methamphetamine on a plane from Bulolo, PNG, Ms. Lin was arrested. She was charged with one count of importing a commercial quantity of methamphetamine and one count of dealing with proceeds of crime. Her arrest marked the expansion of an investigation aimed at the powerful Chinese Businesswoman, who enjoys residency in Australia. The police allege that she facilitated the drug importation, stored the methamphetamine prior to the importation, bought bags for its transportation, and paid for the fuel and the runway in Bulolo used for the black flight. It is reported that the incident Ellen arrested as part of a transnational organized crime (TOC) that involved the Pacific region countries as convenient transit points for the lucrative drug markets in Australia and New Zealand.
Organized crime syndicates involving Chinese citizens are influencing the illegal drug trade in Pacific Islands according to a 2021 report.
Ms. Lin, who runs several businesses, particularly accused in last year’s drug bust. Her wholesale and retail firm, KC2, in Lae included the place where the drugs were stored. At the center of the global illegal drug supply chain are the Pacific nations, who are used by criminal syndicates to gain access to lucrative drug markets in Australia and New Zealand. Though the investigation is still ongoing and Ms. Lin has not pleaded guilty, the underlying issue of the massively expanding transnational organized crime (TOC) involves business people, politicians, and criminals from various pacific, Asian and, Australian countries.