Chinese Entrepreneur’s Arrest In Papua New Guinea Meth Smuggling Scheme Spotlights Transnational Organized Crime

Chinese-born Mei Lin is alleged to be at the center of a transnational crime syndicate.
Chinese Entrepreneur’s Arrest In Papua New Guinea Meth Smuggling Scheme Spotlights Transnational Organized Crime
Methamphetamine worth $15 million seized from a "black flight" originating in Papua New Guinea and intercepted in Queensland, Australia, on March 21, 2023. The Australian Federal Police arrested a prominent business woman in the case in Brisbane on Jan. 16, 2024. Australian Federal Police
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The Chinese-born owner of an international economic empire based out of Papua New Guinea (PNG) was arrested in the Australian city of Brisbane last month for allegedly facilitating a “black flight” that smuggled 71.5 kilograms of methamphetamine—worth $15 million—from a remote hillside airstrip in PNG to Australia.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Feb. 19 that 41-year-old Mei Lin sees herself as “a suburban mum juggling care of her four children, while overseeing a major international business empire encompassing everything from import and export to a Brisbane pet motel.” However, according to media reports, police believe she plays a central role in a transnational crime syndicate involved in black flight drug smuggling.

Venus Upadhayaya
Venus Upadhayaya
Reporter
Venus Upadhayaya reports on India, China, and the Global South. Her traditional area of expertise is in Indian and South Asian geopolitics. Community media, sustainable development, and leadership remain her other areas of interest.
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