Asian El Chapo’s accused right hand man Chung Chak Lee faces court
The alleged right-hand man of Asia’s El Chapo appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court. Here’s what happened.
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The alleged right-hand man of Asia’s El Chapo appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Chung Chak Lee, 66, was beamed into court via video link from the Acacia Unit inside the high security unit at Melbourne’s Barwon Prison.
Lee was dragged back to Australia at the weekend to face a single charge over the importation of 42kg of drugs, mainly ice, in 2012.
He was wearing a light grey jumper, a coronavirus face mask with yellow straps and thick black glasses during his hour long hearing.
The Australian Federal Police has alleged Lee is a “senior associate” to Chi Lop Tse, who has been dubbed Asia’s El Chapo for his role running the $23 billion cartel known as The Company.
The cartel controls up to 70 per cent of the drugs imported into Australia, and allegedly has links to bikie gangs including the Hells Angels and Comanchero.
Lee was arrested in October 2020 in Thailand, following co-operation between the AFP and Royal Thai Police.
Tse was arrested in Amsterdam in January 2021 while in transit at Schiphol Airport on a flight from Taiwan to Canada.
Lee spoke with an interpreter during the hearing, who was also beamed in via video link.
His lawyer Jim McGarvie, of Stary Norton Halphen, confirmed that he had spoken with Lee and explained the charge relating to the drug imports.
Mr McGarvie, who was appointed after Legal Aid declared a conflict of interest on Saturday, did not apply for bail for Lee.
“It’s his first time in custody,” Mr McGarvie told the court.
Lee sought access to a nurse to get cholesterol medication, which he had also asked for during a short hearing at the weekend.
The court heard that Lee was charged in October 2019, but it took a year for Australian Federal Police to arrest him in Bangkok.
Lee was remanded to appear via video link from Barwon Prison on September 6.
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