HEROIN SUSPECT WINS BAIL BY PAYING FOR 24-HOUR GUARDS

An Auckland businessman wanted by New York detectives for his alleged role
in an international heroin ring has been granted bail under an
extraordinary set of conditions.

Hing Hung Wong, also known by eight other names, appeared in the Auckland
District Court yesterday.

John Haig, QC, told the court that the 37-year-old was prepared to pay for
security guards to watch him and would agree to other stringent conditions.

But Christine Gordon, appearing for the United States, opposed bail and
said Wong had "resources" to have the guards "disabled."

Judge Robert Kerr yesterday granted Wong bail, but said he must pay a
$200,000 bond, pay for a security anklet and pay two security guards to
watch him 24 hours a day.

He must also give the court a plan of a city apartment he would stay in,
including all windows, doors and lifts, visit police three times daily, let
police listen to his phone calls and travel in a car only with the guards
present.

The small, balding Wong listened quietly through an interpreter as Judge
Kerr said it was "speculative" to claim the guards could be disabled, and
gave the United States until Thursday to appeal.

Wong is said to have used the names Ah Dee, Wichai Panupornchai, Vichai
Panupornchai, A-Hung, Hung-Jai, Fung, Wing Sun and Richard Wong. He is
wanted by detectives probing a drug ring they suspect shipped up to 300kg
of heroin - worth several hundred million dollars - to the United States.

A US judge issued a warrant for his arrest last July 23 on three counts of
distributing and possessing at least 1kg of heroin at a time in Thailand,
Hong Kong and New York between 1985 and 1995.

Wong could be jailed for life if found guilty.

Judge Kerr declined an earlier bail request on March 3. Yesterday, he gave
the number of aliases Wong had used, the possibility that he could skip the
country and lack of electronic surveillance as some reasons for his
original decision.

However, he had reconsidered after being given more information by the defence.

The court earlier heard that Wong had been in New Zealand on a Thai
passport since November 1998, and was thought to have lived in Atkin Ave,
Mission Bay.

Mr Haig said he wanted his client to be out on bail by next Friday.

His lawyers said language problems meant they were struggling to prepare a
defence against extradition while Wong was remanded in Mt Eden Prison.