WA: Alleged heroin smuggler case continues

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2006
WA: Alleged heroin smuggler case continues

By Jo Prichard

PERTH, April 28 AAP - A court hearing against a Sydney woman charged with smuggling
heroin into Australia has been adjourned after her lawyers said they had new information
that should be raised with police.

Mother of two Thi Than Nga Ho, 37, appeared via video link in Perth Magistrates Court
today but did not plead to charges relating to importing the drug.

She was arrested in Perth after a flight from Singapore on February 28.

The court was previously told 2.6kg of heroin was hidden in the lining of her two suitcases.

If the amount of pure heroin is 1.5kg or more, it will be counted as a commercial quantity
and could lead to the maximum penalty of $750,000 or life imprisonment.

Counsel representing Ho's lawyer Mark Gunning today told the court he needed more time
because "new matters arose that he wanted to speak to police about".

Magistrate Steven Malley granted an adjournment until May 19.

A translator related the proceedings to Vietnamese-born Ho via video link to Bandyup
women's prison, where she is being remanded.

Singapore, where Ho flew from, has the mandatory death penalty for anyone caught with
more than 15 grams of the banned drug.

Melbourne drug trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van was executed in Singapore last year for
trafficking 400 grams of heroin.

The execution raised storms of protest in Australia after Singapore's government rejected
several appeals for his clemency.

He was caught at Singapore's Changi Airport en route to Australia.

AAP jp/lk/evt/bwl

KEYWORD: HO

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