Chinese-Canadian alleged drug kingpin, accused of running one of the world's biggest methamphetamine cartels, is arrested in Amsterdam

Methamphetamine pills confiscated from court cases on display in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 26, 2020.

(CNN)A Chinese-born alleged drug kingpin accused of presiding over a multi-billion dollar narcotics operation has been arrested by Dutch authorities.

Canadian national Tse Chi Lop was detained at Amsterdam's Schipol International Airport on Friday, according to Australian Federal Police (AFP), which has taken the lead in a sprawling international investigation. Before his arrest, Tse was one of the world's most-wanted fugitives.

Authorities allege that Tse, 57, is the leader of the Sam Gor Syndicate, arguably the biggest drug-trafficking operation in Asia's history. Experts say he is in the same league as notorious drug lords El Chapo and Pablo Escobar.

"The importance of Tse's arrest can not be underestimated. It's big and (has) been a long time coming," said Jeremy Douglas, the Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/23/asia/tse-chi-lop-arrest-intl-hnk/index.html