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Police hunt kingpin of vast Asian meth syndicate

Relatives cook outside during a prayer in homage to the victims after gunmen suspected of belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group raided the vil- he largest ever task force assembled to fight lage of Tungushe, killing a soldier and three residents. — AFP in Asia has identified a long- Ttime drug trafficker, a China-born Canadian national, as the suspected kingpin of a crime syndicate that police say dominates the $70 billion-a-year Asia- Pacific drug trade. The suspected syndicate leader is Secret abortions spike with Boko Haram chaos Tse Chi Lop, 55, an ex-convict who formerly lived in Toronto and has moved between Macau, Hong Kong ellu became pregnant after a Nigerian soldier mortality rate globally, according to the World Health tage of them. If they say no, they may lose their housing,” and Taiwan in recent years, according to counter-nar- offered her food and shelter in exchange for sex. But Organization, with about 100 women and girls dying each said Maryam Aje, head of the African Youth for Peace cotics officers from four countries as well as law Kthe destitute teenager - who lost her family when day. Death rates in the northeast - where clinics and hos- Development and Empowerment Foundation, which gives enforcement documents reviewed by Reuters. Boko Haram militants attacked her village two years earlier - pitals have been destroyed as armed groups fight to create women business grants. Authorities have not publicly identified Tse as the did not want to have the baby. After moving to a camp for an Islamic caliphate - are the worst in Nigeria, government Pointing to a poster in a Maiduguri camp encouraging boss of the drug trafficking group. The syndicate he is displaced people in northeastern Borno state, where she data shows. women to space their children, Hadiza - a nurse working in suspected of running is known to its members as “The relied on neighbors for food, 18-year-old Kellu wanted an Women and girls go to pharmacies, vendors of locally a nearby clinic - said family planning messages focused on Company.” Law enforcers also refer to it as “Sam Gor,” abortion but did not know where to go - like a growing made drugs and older women to terminate pregnancies, married women because of conservative attitudes. or Brother Number Three in , after one of number of women since the Islamist insurgency began. using medication, herbs or tools like sticks, Aminu said. “Women will ask for contraception but they don’t want Tse’s nicknames. The Australian Federal Police (AFP), “If I continue with this pregnancy, it will ruin my life,” Fatima, is was in her 40s, went to an aunt who gave her husbands to know,” said Hadiza, who declined to publish which has taken the lead in the sprawling investigation, Kellu, who guessed she was about two months pregnant, herbs that caused a miscarriage in a few hours. “It wasn’t a her real name. “(They) come at night, when nobody is has compiled a list of top syndicate members that identi- told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, sitting on a mat in a choice, I had to end it,” said Fatima, who declined to pub- around.” Hadiza said she often received calls or visits from fies Tse as “the senior leader of the Sam Gor syndicate.” building pock-marked with bullet holes. “Everyone will lish her real name, who was raising five children and four young women after working hours, asking for the morn- The group, the list says, has “been connected with know what I did. They will stigmatize me for having a baby grandchildren in a displaced camp in Borno state. ing-after pill. “It’s better to prevent such pregnancies than or directly involved in at least 13 cases” of drug traf- without a husband. Also, I have no money to take care of “Men say it’s immorality. But they are not the ones who try and deal with them when they happen,” she said. Many ficking since January 2015. The list, reviewed by myself. How am I supposed to look after a child?” asked have to give birth and look after the babies. When your girls do not even know sex can make them pregnant, said Reuters, does not provide specific details of the cases. Kellu, who declined to publish her real name. Nigeria has children are telling you they are hungry, how can you have Lucy Dlama of Women in New Nigeria, which supports A flow-chart of the syndicate in a Taiwanese law some of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws, which another one?” she asked, adding foetuses are often found rape survivors with health care. “Our culture means it is enforcement document identifies Tse as the only allow abortion to save the life of the mother. in the camp’s toilets. Nigerian officials insist the law is taboo for parents to discuss sex education with their “Multinational CEO” of the Sam Gor syndicate. A US The Johns Hopkins University estimates that 2.7 million upheld. “Regardless of circumstances, abortion is prohibit- daughters,” said Dlama, who encourages mothers to teach Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) alert circulat- abortions are carried out in Nigeria each year, the majority ed except for medical reasons,” said Ali Grema, deputy girls about their bodies. “They can think it is stomach pain, ed among regional government agencies this year says performed secretly and in dangerous conditions, with director of emergency medical response in the health min- give birth and then panic.” Tse is “believed to be” the leader of the syndicate. poor, uneducated women most at risk. Health and aid istry in Borno state. “It is not allowed for social reasons.” Aminu, the nurse, said most of his patients needing “Brother Number Three is target number one,” said workers say unsafe abortions have surged in northern post-abortion care were teenagers who tried to abort one AFP officer. Nigeria since the start of the Boko Haram conflict in 2009, Taboo after several months because they did not know they were Reuters was unable to contact Tse Chi Lop. In which has driven 1.8 million Nigerians from their homes, With many husbands missing, detained or dead, more pregnant or hid it. “They do not die if we admit them to response to questions from Reuters, the AFP, the DEA according to the United Nations. women are having sex outside marriage, aid workers said. hospital,” he said. “But there are so many more cases and Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau At least 40 women and girls come in for emergency While some women choose to get into new relationships, where women and girls take herbs on their own, do not said they would not comment on investigations. post-abortion care each month, said Aminu, a senior nurse the United Nations has recorded thousands of cases of come to the hospital and die because they do not want to According to interviews with regional law enforcers in a busy government clinic in Yobe state - west of Borno sexual violence and transactional sex, particularly by expose themselves.” Pregnancy outside marriage is a from eight countries, as well as a review of law state - about three times the average of 10 to 15 a month a women and girls who lack food, shelter or money. “Many taboo, even when it is the result of rape by soldiers, militias enforcement documents, the syndicate produces vast decade earlier. Nigeria has the fourth highest maternal people who are displaced live with hosts who take advan- or camp officials. — Reuters quantities of high-grade in Myanmar and trafficks the drug to countries stretching from Japan to New Zealand. The group is “conservatively” raking in $8 billion a Grassroots leaders: 9 years year and could be earning as much as $17.7 billion The convicted: Who The Supreme Court also handed sentences of nine annually, according to an estimate by the United years to Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, two influential Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). “Tse are the 12 Catalan civic leaders who were convicted of sedition for calling Chi Lop is in the league of El Chapo or maybe Pablo huge rallies to try and stop the police from following a Escobar,” said Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia and court order to halt the referendum. Known as ‘Los Pacific representative for UNODC, referring to Latin separatist leaders? Jordis’, the pair were repeatedly flagged up by the sepa- America’s most legendary narco-traffickers. “The word ratists as “political prisoners”, with Amnesty International kingpin often gets thrown around, but there is no calling for their release, denouncing the charges against doubt it applies here.” welve Catalan separatist leaders, most of them them as “unfounded”. At the time of the referendum, The syndicate is the major factor in the fourfold members of the former regional government, were Sanchez, now 55, was head of the ANC, while Cuixart, increase in region-wide meth trafficking in the past five Tconvicted by Spain’s Supreme Court yesterday for 44, was and still is leader of Omnium Cultural. Both were years, the UNODC says. The supply of the highly their role in a controversial independence bid in 2017. placed in pre-trial detention on October 16, 2017 for call- addictive drug has surged, causing the street price to Nine of them were handed jail terms and three were ing a demonstration outside a public building as it was plummet in many countries. In a report in July, the UN fined. The defendants included nine ex-ministers, the par- being searched by police, preventing them from leaving. Protesters hold a banner reading ‘Free political prisoners’ agency said the meth trade had reached “unprecedent- liamentary speaker and key figures in Catalonia’s biggest Nobody was hurt but several police cars were damaged. at El Prat airport in Barcelona yesterday as thousands ed and dangerous levels,” and was a “direct challenge pro-independence grassroots organizations who were all took to the streets after Spain’s Supreme Court sen- to the public security and health of the region.” put on trial for their role in organizing the banned Regional ministers: 10.5- 12 years jail October 1, 2017 referendum. tenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to between nine Five former regional ministers were handed sentences and 13 years in jail for sedition over the failed 2017 inde- alliance ranging from 10 years and six months to 12 years. Among pendence bid. — AFP The AFP has identified 19 top syndicate leaders, Catalan vice president: 13 years them were Joaquim Forn, 55, who - as Catalan interior four of whom are Canadian nationals, the target list Oriol Junqueras, who became the main defendant after minister at the time - was responsible for regional polic- shows. Other suspected leaders hail from Hong Kong, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont fled to ing and let the referendum go ahead. Also in the dock Macau, mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar Belgium to avoid prosecution, was handed a 13-year jail Parliament speaker: 11.5 years were Josep Rull, 51, Raul Romeva, 48, Dolors Bassa, 60, and Vietnam. Some have links to drug trafficking that term for sedition and misuse of public funds. Prosecutors Like Junqueras, Carme Forcadell, the former speaker and Jordi Turull, 53. go back decades, according to the target list and had called for a 25-year sentence on the more serious of the Catalan regional parliament, was convicted of investigators from four countries, who spoke on condi- grounds of rebellion. A former historian who heads the sedition, with the 64-year-old handed a sentence of 11 3 others: 60,000-euro fine tion of anonymity. Tse has not been arrested. Counter- leftwing ERC party, Junqueras, 50, was charged by years and six months. A former head of the Catalan Three other former regional ministers, who faced less- narcotics agents said they suspect he has long been Puigdemont with organizing the referendum which was National Assembly (ANC), a civil society group respon- er charges, escaped jail time and were handed fines of aware he is under surveillance. So far, at least one sen- followed by a short-lived declaration of independence. sible for organizing mass pro-independence rallies, around 60,000 euro ($66,000). Santi Vila, 46, resigned ior member of the syndicate has been arrested, Arrested in November 2017, this portly politician, who Forcadell was accused of ignoring legal warnings about from the Catalan government on the eve of the independ- according to investigators and police documents. has been a lifelong supporter of Catalan independence, pushing through laws which laid the ground for the refer- ence declaration in late October 2017; Carles Mundo, 43, Tse has previously been involved in drug trafficking. has spent nearly two years in pre-trial detention. endum and for secession. and Meritxell Borras, 55. — AFP In the late 1990s, he was arrested and extradited from Hong Kong to the United States on charges of conspir- acy to import heroin into America. He was tried in New its “The Loud House” three years ago, and two female Many Asian networks are also resistant to storylines that York and in 2000 sentenced to nine years in prison, What do we tell the characters married without much fuss on the Cartoon include LGBTQ characters or blended families, while which he mostly served in the federal correctional Network’s “Steven Universe” cartoon last year. While Helsinki-based producer Thatcher Mines said the anti-gay institution in Elkton, Ohio. The investigation, which “The Bravest Knight” received critical plaudits, a fierce “propaganda” law had led to a wave of “self-censorship involves about a dozen countries, has been dubbed kids? Children’s TV battle has raged on its Facebook page between its critics and worse” in Russia. Operation Kungur. Counter-narcotics agencies from on the religious right in the US and its liberal defenders. Kenya also controversially banned a whole slew of chil- China, Myanmar, the United States and Thailand are struggles with LGBT The Canadian show’s producer Shabnam Rezaei said that dren’s cartoons in 2017, claiming they were “deliberately also leading participants, along with Australia. Taiwan, she embraced the debate. designed to corrupt moral judgment” and pass “bizarre while not a formal member, is also assisting. “That is how you make progress. If they want to attack messages intended to promote the LGBT agenda in the At the core of the syndicate are at least five triad nce upon a time in children’s television land frogs us that is great if they can be transparent about their feel- country”. A decade before, US conservatives had similarly groups that originated in Hong Kong, Macau, China were kissed but princesses only ever married ings and reasoning. Let’s have that conversation.” But she questioned the sexuality of SpongeBob SquarePants. and Taiwan but which have global reach, AFP officers Oprinces. Now Prince Charming might just as easily warned that the basic issues of gender and diversity won’t However, a new study by analysts Dubit found only seven said. These are the , , , the ride off into the sunset with another man, as happens in the go away. “Everyone is figuring this stuff out. I don’t know percent of children’s shows airing or streaming in the UK and the . To get its hit new Hulu cartoon series, “The Bravest Knight”, while that anyone has the answers,” Rezaei said on Sunday at had LGBTQ characters and “not a single episode had same- drugs to market, the Sam Gor syndicate works closely the Disney Channel has just had its first gay romance in its MIPJunior, the world’s biggest gathering of children’s TV sex parents”. British producer Sallyann Keizer, who pro- with Japan’s , Thai organized crime, and live-action tween show “Andi Mack”. makers in the French Riviera resort of Cannes. duces diverse programs for pre-school and older children Australian motorcycle gangs, among other crime Program makers are struggling to better reflect the “But to not want to talk about it, to want to keep people for the BBC, told AFP “that children are not born with preju- groups, according to regional anti-narcotics agents world young people are growing up in, with the first tenta- in the dark, to shove it under the carpet, we know that is dice”. “And there’s a lot of academic research proving that. and documents reviewed by Reuters. — Reuters tive steps to embrace non-traditional families and LGBTQ the wrong thing to do. “That is what causes self-hate and They are just beautiful vessels. “As producers and entertain- characters. But even as experts warn that it is key for chil- suicides,” Rezaei added, saying Hulu has donated $50,000 ment people, we have a massive responsibility” to be inclu- dren’s well-being to see their reality mirrored on screen, the (45,000 euros) to the suicide prevention charity, The sive and make minority groups less invisible, she added. backlash against some of the first wave of gay characters Trevor Project, after the new show raced to its 50,000 Young Belgian director Charlie Dewulf, who has come has been sharp. Earlier this year the Alabama affiliate of the streams target in four days rather than four months. out as bisexual and non-binary, said that “we have to put All articles appearing on this page are the US public broadcaster PBS pulled the same-sex wedding shame aside and allow children and adolescents to recog- personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait episode of its popular animated show “Arthur” in which the ‘Kids not born prejudiced’ nize themselves” on screen. “When I was small I had to teacher Mr Ratburn marries his “special someone”. Iranian-born Rezaei admitted that “there are whole watch adult films to see people like myself and I was afraid Times takes no responsibility for views parts of the world I do not pitch to”, while a Middle my mother would catch me,” the 25-year-old said. expressed therein. ‘We can’t not talk about it’ Eastern producer told AFP that it was just not possible to “Everybody is moving forward on this. It is going to Yet Nickelodeon introduced a bi-racial gay couple into broach such sensitive subjects in most Muslim countries. change with our generation,” she added. — AFP