Ex-Gasp boss Qiu Shan-Lian wanted by China for alleged drug smuggling
She once ran a popular fashion chain and owned a multimillion-dollar mansion on Brighton’s swanky Martin St. But wealthy designer Qiu Shan-Lian is wanted by Chinese authorities over drugs claims and believed to be hiding in plain sight.
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A wealthy fashion designer wanted by Interpol for alleged high-level drug smuggling is believed to be living in Melbourne.
Legal documents allege former Gasp fashion chain director Qiu Shan-Lian, wanted by Chinese authorities over narcotics crimes, has been living in suburban Melbourne while an international fugitive.
An Interpol red notice has been in place for Ms Qiu for five years.
That means police and border protection authorities around the world have been asked to look out for the 36-year-old businesswoman.
Ms Qiu appears to have been living at a number of addresses in Melbourne’s southern suburbs, including Brighton and Brighton East.
She has taken on a major bank in a legal battle, indicating she does not fear being arrested and extradited to China.
Ms Qiu is a former director of the Gasp group of stores, which had outlets around Melbourne and sold dresses for between $100 and $700.
Her apparent success generated enough wealth for her to buy a multimillion-dollar mansion in swanky Martin St, Brighton.
She sold the double-storey home, on an 880sq m block with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a pool, for $3.5 million in March 2016. The sale came in the period after the Interpol notice was posted.
A financial dispute with National Australia Bank related to the property’s sale ended up in the Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal. There appeared to be no attempt made by Ms Qiu in the proceedings to conceal her identity.
Ms Qiu, 38, relocated to Australia from China in the early 2000s.
China has become increasingly hard line on drug trafficking because of the big amount of methamphetamine manufactured in the country which makes its way to foreign shores.
The nature of the allegations against Ms Qiu are unclear. The Herald Sun has not been able to verify any of the allegations against her and does not suggest they are true, only that Ms Qiu is wanted by Chinese authorities.
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