RECORD HEROIN HAUL ENDS IN 25 YEARS' JAIL

A Victorian judge jailed a "thoroughly malevolent" and "cold-hearted"
man for 25 years yesterday for a heroin importation conspiracy
committed solely for personal greed.

Country Court judge Thomas Wodak, who was urged to imprison Philip
Chee Min Ng and a co-offender, Wai Man Li, for life, said the pair had
willingly inflicted the misery of heroin on a large number of people.

Judge Wodak told Ng, 43, he had observed him almost daily for more
than two years, through two aborted trials and a final trial, and "I
formed the opinion that you are a cold-hearted and callous manipulator
of facts to your advantage".

He said he regretted to say he had found Ng, who pleaded not guilty to
conspiracy to import heroin worth about $24 million, a "thoroughly
malevolent person" whose continued denial of involvement was
"consistent with the absence of any concern for the misery which you
were willing to exploit to feed your financial greed".

Ng, of North Melbourne, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a
jury, while Li, 46, of East Keilor, pleaded guilty to the same
offence, committed between April and October, 1996.

The jury heard the men undertook three importations, in wall plaques.
But there was only evidence of one, a 23.7-kilogram shipment, between
78 and 80per cent pure, which was Victoria's largest seizure.

Judge Wodak said the men had conspired with others, including Thai
national Wanchai Khojaranusat, who arranged for students at
Queensland's Bond University to send about $2.5million in profits from
heroin and in payments for future importations by electronic transfer
from Australia.

The Age has learnt that Khojaranusat, who had fled Australia, now
faces possible death by firing squad in Thailand after being arrested
earlier this year allegedly in possession of about 100 kilograms of
heroin.

Judge Wodak said Ng and Li participated in a "carefully structured and
sophisticated" organisation and each had committed "a most dreadful
offence".

He said at the time of their arrest, police found almost $600,000 in
cash at Ng's address and almost $280,00 at Li's.

He told Li that, by his plea, he had demonstrated a measure of
remorse, but added that both men gave no "consideration to the
destructive and anti-social consequences" of the drug's
importation.

Judge Wodak said such an amount `inevitably leads to injury and death
for those who use heroin and to the exploitation and criminality
associated with its usage".

Ng was ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years and Li was jailed for a
maximum of 21 years, with a minimum of 16 years. Each man has already
served almost four years in pre-sentence detention.

Federal Agent Wayne Buchhorn said outside court the sentences were the
end of a long and complex investigation by the Australian Federal
Police, National Crime Authority, Customs and the narcotics
suppression bureau of the Royal Thai Police.