US BATTLES DRUG RULING

The United States is trying to overturn a district court judge's rejection
of extradition against an Aucklander it alleges organised heroin shipments
to America.

An appeal by the United States against Judge Robert Kerr's July decision
that Hing Hung Wong, aged 37, should not be extradited to America began in
the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

Wong was arrested in Auckland on January 27 on an American warrant.

Extradition proceedings began in the Auckland District Court in February.

He is accused of one count of distributing, between 1985 and November 1995,
1kg or more of heroin in Thailand, Hong Kong and elsewhere, knowing that
the drug would be unlawfully imported into the United States. He is accused
of a further similar count of distributing at least 1kg of heroin within
New York between May 1994 and September 1994.

Yesterday's hearing was taken up with legal argument arising out of Judge
Kerr's decision.

He found there would have been enough evidence to extradite Wong but the
United States had not properly authenticated its papers.

Mike Ruffin is appearing for the United States and John Haigh, QC, for
Wong, who was not in court yesterday.

Wong is on bail under 24-hour guard at a secret address. Before he was
arrested he had lived in New Zealand on a Thai passport, according to police.

The hearing will continue today.