Pubdate: Sat, 25 Dec 2004
Source: Herald Sun (Australia)
Copyright: 2004 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact:  http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/187
Author: Keith Moor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DRUGS TASK FORCE HAILS FIRST WIN

A SECRET worldwide taskforce set up to identify criminal Mr Bigs has nabbed 
one of Asia's biggest alleged drug czars.

The arrest of Wong Moon Chi in Cambodia is being hailed as the taskforce's 
first success. Mr Wong, 44, is allegedly responsible for trafficking 
hundreds of kilograms of heroin and amphetamines around the world - 
including to Australia.

Australian Federal Police agents are members of the international taskforce 
which helped track Mr Wong down.

AFP national manager of intelligence Dr Grant Wardlaw said Mr Wong's 
capture highlighted the importance of world agencies co-operating.

"Wong is certainly regarded as one of the most significant drug dealers in 
the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

Dr Wardlaw said Mr Wong had been the major target of an unpublicised 
multi-agency taskforce.

The taskforce is made up of officers from the AFP, the United States Drug 
Enforcement Administration, the UK National Crime Squad and National 
Criminal Intelligence Service, New Zealand Police and Customs and the Royal 
Canadian Mounted Police.

Dr Wardlaw said the taskforce was formed in August last year.

"Senior officers from each agency met then to consider a joint strategy 
aimed at disrupting major criminals who target our countries," he said.

"This group is referred to as the Transnational Targeting Network.

"Wong Moon Chi, a Chinese national then resident in Cambodia, was selected 
as a target for a joint investigation.

"We haven't publicised the existence of the Transnational Targeting Network 
as we wanted it to achieve success first.

"We believe the arrest of Wong is the success we were looking for."

Dr Wardlaw said the network enlisted the help of police in Hong Kong and 
Cambodia as intelligence suggested Wong was particularly active there. The 
taskforce discovered evidence of Mr Wong allegedly being involved in drug 
trafficking in several countries, but the strongest evidence was in Hong 
Kong. Hong Kong police issued a warrant for Mr Wong's arrest in September 
in relation to the trafficking of 200 kilograms of amphetamines.

The taskforce tracked Mr Wong down to Cambodia and he was arrested in Phnom 
Penh this month as he was driving to work.

Mr Wong was this week extradited to Hong Kong, where he is facing 20 
drug-related charges.

"This is a terrific example of international agencies co-operating to 
exchange intelligence, doing the tracking then effecting an arrest on the 
basis of the warrant that has most evidence attached to it," Dr Wardlaw said.

Phnom Penh-based United Nations anti-drug official Graham Shaw claimed Mr 
Wong was one of the biggest fish in the drug world.

He said the arrest would have a significant impact on the availability of 
heroin and other drugs "in the short term anyway, until somebody else takes 
over from him".

Dr Wardlaw said Mr Wong didn't appear to be a member of any particular 
organised crime group.

He said Mr Wong was unusual in that he seemed able to be accepted by 
different international drug syndicates. "He was at the centre of - or 
involved with - a number of networks of major drug importers.

"He's worked himself into the very high levels of a number of trafficking 
organisations.

"His name pops up in relation to investigations in a lot of countries."
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