Drug Cartel Paid Funds to Account in the Name of PNG’s Chief Migration Officer

An Australian Federal Police photo showing the light plane flown from PNG to Queensland in March 2023, and bags allegedly containing methamphetamine that were found inside it. Courtesy of AFP

A drug cartel allegedly run by a China-born businesswoman paid $10,000 (US$6,500) into a bank account in the name of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) former migration chief to obtain a visa, court filings show. It was part of a plan to fly a light plane loaded with drugs from PNG to Australia.

Mei “Gigi” Lin, now a naturalised PNG citizen, was arrested and charged in Brisbane in January for allegedly playing a key role in facilitating a “black flight” in March 2023 that carried over 71 kilograms (156.5 pounds) of methamphetamine from a remote PNG airstrip to the Australian town of Monto, in the North Burnett Region of Queensland. At the 2021 census, it had a population of just 1,156 people.

A black flight is a light aircraft that logs false flight plans (or no log at all), flies at a very low altitude or turns off flight monitoring systems to avoid law enforcement or aviation monitoring systems.

Awaiting Trial

Ms. Lin has denied the charges and was granted bail after offering sureties worth about $2.6 million, which included her share of her $3 million home in the Brisbane suburb of Rochedale. She is currently in Brisbane awaiting trial.

Police allege she used an encrypted communications device, under the pseudonym “Make it Rain,” to coordinate the drug flight with members of an Australia-based syndicate that included local pilots.

So far eight people have been charged over the black flight in Australia, while six others have been charged in PNG.

At the time of the arrests, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the syndicate had “significant international links” it was still working to uncover.

AFP told the court that Ms. Lin had instructed one of her co-accused, Australia-based businessman Chun “Frank” Li, to pay $10,000 to a Sydney bank account so Mr. Li could obtain a visa to travel to PNG and take part in the drug trafficking scheme. The money was allegedly transferred in mid-February last year.

Mr. Li is one of those facing charges in PNG.

Encrypted Messages

The AFP alleged they found dozens of encrypted messages on Mr. Li’s phone between him and “Rain” that discussed preparations for the import.

The messages also allegedly include discussions about whether “87” had arrived at “Laicheng,” which police say means Lae city. The AFP allege this is a reference to the number of bags of methamphetamine that were later found on the plane when it was intercepted.

Some of the methamphetamine seized by the Australian Federal Police when they intercepted a "black" flight from PNG to Queensland in March 2023. Courtesy of AFP

The account at the Commonwealth Bank is listed in the police summary of facts as belonging to “Stanis.” However, by using the bank’s online payment system, reporters from the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) were able to determine that the branch and account numbers matched the full name of Stanis Hulahau, who was PNG’s then chief migration officer.

Mr. Hulahau has not been charged with any crime.

In September last year, he warned all foreign nationals in PNG that his office would not hesitate to detain and expel them if found engaging in criminal and illegal activities. He said there would be “no room” for foreign criminals engaging in illegal activities after a New Zealander was arrested in Port Moresby for possession of methamphetamine implements.

In response to questions from news company Inside PNG, he said “[I] am not aware of the transaction and will have to check with my bank in Australia,” adding that ”the visa was granted electronically so there is no way I will be involved in this process.”

“I have no link to Mei Lin on the drug issue and [have] not assisted Mr. Chun Li’s visa or travel to PNG to participate in drug activity as I am a leader who leads the fight against drug[s] in PNG.”

Migration chief resigned

However, Mr. Hulahau subsequently resigned as migration chief after OCCRP, Inside PNG, and Australia’s ABC revealed that companies connected with Ms. Lin had received Australian government money under a programme created to care for refugees and asylum seekers in PNG.

Known as the PNG Humanitarian Program (PHP), the Papua New Guinea government-administered arrangement is now under investigation over allegations that contracts had been improperly issued and money had gone missing.

“Serious allegations by [a] whistleblower, separate complaints raised by other parties, the local and international media coverage on it, and the undertaking by the Australian government to investigate the program, requires our government to carry out our own audit into the arrangement,” PNG minister for immigration, John Rosso, said.

Both Port Moresby and Canberra have consistently refused to reveal details of the scheme.

The AFP alleges that last year’s black flight was likely intended to be the first in an “ongoing commercial business of importing methamphetamine from PNG to Australia.” It was intercepted in Monto on March 21 after the group had made previous unsuccessful attempts to fly to Australia.

A forensic comparison showed similarities between the methamphetamine found on that flight and an earlier shipment of 125 kilograms seized in PNG in November 2022. Two Malaysians and two PNG nationals were reportedly charged over that incident.