MAN WITH GANG LINKS DENIES IMPORTING ECSTACY TO U.S.

Bags Full Of The Drug Found Near Site Where Joseph Patrick Curry
Crash-Landed Plane In Washington State

A man linked to the United Nations gang who crashed a plane in
Washington state two years ago claims the duffle bags full of ecstasy
found nearby were not his, B.C. Supreme Court heard Friday.

And Joseph Patrick Curry's lawyer, John Conroy, said the evidence
presented against his client is not strong enough to justify Curry's
extradition to the U.S. on charges of importing ecstasy, possession
with intent to distribute ecstasy and entering the states "without
inspection."

He said the fact the U.S. included details of Curry's interview
denying knowledge of the ecstasy in the extradition request undermines
the claim there was no evidence to contradict the U.S. charges.

"He says he knew nothing of the illicit narcotics found near the
Cessna," Conroy said told Justice Peter Rogers Friday. "The evidence
doesn't show that those bags were ever in the plane."

Justice department lawyer Stacey Repas, representing the U.S.
government, said there were sufficient grounds to commit Curry for
extradition to Washington state. "You have Mr. Curry, who was the
owner of the aircraft, and admits to flying it," Repas said. "The
three bags are found nearby."

He laid out the case against Curry, identified in U.S. court documents
as a member of the notorious UN gang who appeared alongside gang
founder Clay Roueche at another member's funeral.

Curry flew a red and white Cessna across the border into Washington's
Okanogan County on Aug. 10, 2007 just before lunch, alerting U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Witnesses said the
plane made an emergency landing in a farmer's field and that they
could see a man walking from the Cessna out of view.

ICE agents searched the plane and found a for sale sign with a B.C.
number on it. They called and were told by the previous owner that he
had sold the plane to Curry, a suspect in earlier cross-border drug
runs. "After searching the plane that landed in the open field on
August 10, 2007, several duffel bags were located," the indictment
against Curry says.

The substance in the bags was determined to be 72 pounds of ecstasy,
also known as MDMA, stamped with the letters BOSS. Three days later,
Conroy spoke to U.S. agents saying he represented Curry who "wanted to
retrieve his airplane."

"Curry had relayed to his attorney that he had engine trouble and
encountered foul weather forcing him to land in the United States as
his original destination was from Princeton to Penticton," the
indictment says.

Curry tried to enter the U.S. on Aug. 13 at Sumas and was arrested.
"Curry stated that he had been the pilot of the aircraft and denied
any knowledge of any narcotics found in or near the aircraft," the
indictment says.

Curry, 49, was later released on bail and went back to Canada, but
failed to return to the U.S. for subsequent court dates. He was
arrested last March in a cross-border probe called Operation Blade
Runner targeting a gang allegedly involved in heli-smuggling.

The RCMP said at the time that Curry, of Chilliwack, and another man,
"were on their way back to pick up the remainder of the drugs at the
helicopter landing zone just outside of Nelson."

He is yet to face new charges in B.C. in connection with the probe.

Rogers reserved his ruling on the extradition request.