ELECTRONIC SPYING USED IN DRUG CASE

Christchurch: Covert electronic surveillance of two Dunedin cocaine
importers led police to a Christchurch salesman planning to sell thousands
of dollars worth of the drug, Christchurch District Court was told
yesterday.

The 33-year-old Christchurch man, who has name suppression, was found
with about $10,000 in cash at his home, along with weighing scales, a
set of plastic bags and a bag containing traces of a substance
identified as cocaine, the depositions hearing was told.

One of the drug importers, Ian Gordon Fletcher, has pleaded guilty to
a charge of supplying the salesman with cocaine and been jailed.

However, when called to give evidence at the hearing yesterday,
Fletcher refused to either swear an oath or affirm to tell the truth.

Apart from giving his name and age, he said he did not recall anything
else, including pleading guilty to supplying the salesman with cocaine.

Detective John Ferguson, of Dunedin's drugs squad, went to the
salesman's home in Christchurch and interviewed him while other police
and a drugs dog searched the house.

The salesman said he did not have drugs in the house and denied
Fletcher had given him any cocaine. He explained giving Fletcher
designer goggles and a sweatshirt as "just a gesture of goodwill",
using leftover stock for a friend he had known for more than 20 years.

The salesman also explained his attempt to change about $2000 in
predominantly $20 bills into larger denominations as the result of
selling a series of deleted items in a bid to get "some tax-free dollars".

Det Ferguson put to him that Fletcher had given him two ounces (56g)
of cocaine, half for money and half on credit. The salesman replied:
"Two ounces? I'd say he's off his trolley."

Asked why Fletcher would make such a comment, the salesman replied: "I
truly can't answer that."

Other evidence, including the contents of the electronic surveillance
campaign on Fletcher, were suppressed at the request of defence lawyer
Greg Trainor.

Mr Trainor did not dispute there was sufficient evidence to put his
client on trial on a charge of conspiring to supply a class A drug.

Justices of the peace Colin Fisk and Lyn Holland remanded the salesman
on bail to a pre-trial conference in the High Court at Christchurch on
March 3.