ECSTASY FIND LEADS TO TRIAL

Auckland: Three Asian men will stand trial over New Zealand's largest
ecstasy haul after police and customs intercepted a BMW gearbox stuffed with
25,000 tablets and laid an elaborate trap.

Guo Ming Cai, Eric Yuk Chu Lo and Simon Wu were this week committed
for trial on charges of importing ecstasy and possessing the class B
drug after written depositions presented in the Auckland District
Court alleged the trio were caught red-handed.

Police and customs officials in January raided a Great South Rd motel
room where Cai and Lo were found standing over the dismantled gearbox
which had contained an estimated $2.5 million worth of ecstasy.

But what Cai and Lo thought were thousands of ecstasy tablets were
placebo pills planted in the gearbox by a senior customs officer after
the real consignment was seized on its arrival from Belgium.

Customs officer Bruce Berry had also coated the tablets' plastic
packet and the gearbox with a fluorescent dye. Ultraviolet light
subsequently revealed traces of the dye on Cai and Lo's hands and clothing.

The random decision to inspect the gearbox when it arrived at Auckland
International Airport on 15 January yielded more than 25,100
terracotta-coloured tablets embossed with a tulip.

While police and customs were uncovering the record haul, Cai, Lo and
Wu were allegedly making preparations for the gearbox's arrival.

Motel rooms and a vehicle were hired and paid for with a "thick wad"
of $100 notes, and one motelier described the Asian man she dealt with
as appearing anxious.

Wu allegedly arranged for an Otahuhu panelbeater to unwittingly pose
as the package's recipient and for a friend of his to collect it from
the airport once it cleared customs.

Unknown to the trio, Customs officials and police were tracking the
gearbox. The exercise culminated in raids on the motel room and Wu's
home the night the package was collected.

Cai (38), Lo (41) and Wu (32) will stand trial in the High Court at
Auckland before the end of the year.