Ottawa, B.C. welcome ‘notorious’ tycoon

VANCOUVER — Steven Law is one of the most notorious, rich and secretive tycoons in Asia, a man sanctioned by the United States for his family’s alleged ties to the narcotics trade and support of the former military junta that ruthlessly ruled Myanmar.

But that didn’t stop Canada and B.C. from rolling out the red carpet this month for an Asian trade delegation that included Law, whose father, Lo Hsing Han, was nicknamed the “Godfather of Heroin.”

The delegation that included Law was wined and dined in Toronto and Vancouver, where participants met with B.C. Premier Christy Clark and cabinet minister Teresa Wat.

“I was shocked when I heard this,” said Tin Maung Htoo of Canadian Friends of Burma, a group that fights for human rights in the country, which is also known as Myanmar. “He is quite notorious. His father was regarded as the most famous drug dealer in Burma.”

Law’s American assets have been frozen by the U.S. government, and he is banned from doing business with U.S citizens.

“Steven Law and Lo Hsing Han have a history of involvement in illicit activities,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

“Lo Hsing Han, known as the ‘ Godfather of Heroin,’ has been one of the world’s key heroin traffickers dating back to the early 1970s. Steven Law joined his father’s drug empire in the 1990s and has since become one of the wealthiest individuals in Burma.”

Asian news sites reported that Law came to Canada using his Chinese name, Lo Ping Zhong, in a business delegation travelling with Myanmar’s minister of national planning. The group was part of a June 1-5 trade mission to Canada with representatives from 10 countries.

The federal government promised to provide a statement to Postmedia News, but no statement was received by deadline Wednesday.