Bren Esports owner wanted in connection to multi-million dollar drug smuggling case

Update June 13 3:53pm CT: Filipino businessman Bernard Chong, owner and founder of esports organization Bren Esports, was cleared of all criminal charges by The Special 17th Division of the Court of Appeals in Manilla, Philippines on May 9, 2023. The Filipino court found no probable cause to indict Chong in the 2021 drug smuggling case he was implicated in, and therefore, the charges were dismissed, according to a report by Esports Insider. The original article can be read below.

Filipino entrepreneur Bernard Chong, the founder and owner of popular local organization Bren Esports, is wanted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for his alleged involvement in a drug smuggling case of shabu (methamphetamines) that’s worth 1.87 billion Philippine pesos—the equivalent of approximately $33.6 million, according to Philippines-based media outlet Bylyonaryo.

The drug smuggling case dates back to 2019 at the Manila International Container Port in the Philippines. Chong was allegedly tied to this narcotics case as one of the owners of Fortuneyield Cargo Services Corporation, the collector of the drug shipment. The warrant for Chong’s arrest was issued on June 2, 2021, and the appeal was rejected on April 29, 2022.

“Drug smuggling is a very serious case and is an unbailable offense,” Joey Moran, the International Operations Division Chief at NBI said, according to Bylyonaryo. “The NBI is mandated to track down and arrest fugitives regardless of their status. As long as you have a warrant of arrest, you become a subject of a manhunt. However, Mr. Lu Chung can spare everyone the trouble if he surrenders and face the charges against him.”

Chong founded Bren Esports in 2017 and it’s now one of the most recognizable esports organizations across the Southeast Asia region. Bren Esports fields teams in multiple games, including VALORANT and Wild Rift.

In addition to owning Bren Esports, Chong is also behind shoe brand World Balance and the Philippine Franchise of a Canadian fast food chain called Tim Hortons.

Correction Aug. 29 9:24pm CT: This article previously made mention of social media platform LYKA and incorrectly identified Chong as part of the platform’s ownership group. The article has been updated accordingly. We regret this error.