No Australian move to extradite man

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 3

No Australian move to extradite man

The Australian police have so far made no move to extradite the man they questioned in Christchurch yesterday in connection with the killing of two alleged drug couriers from New Zealand. Two Melbourne homicide detectives will interview the man again later this week l about the deaths of Douglas land Isobel Wilson, whose bodies were found 100 kilometres south of Melbourne nine weeks ago. in the meantime, Detective Inspector Brian Ritchie and Detective Senior-Sergeant lan Williamson will make other inquiries throughout the country into the activities of a New Zealand-based drug syndicate. The Australian police believe the syndicate has killed

as many as eight persons, half of them New Zealanders, in the last few years. Th man .questioned yesterday was arrested by members of the Christchurch drug squad in the city last week. He had been in Christchurch for only a few days and was living in a motel. “We are here mainly to interview this man, but we are making over-all inquiries into the syndicate in New Zealand,” said Detective Inspector Ritchie. He said the syndicate was run mainly by New Zealanders resident in both Australia and this country. It is believed that other members of the Melbourne police homicide squad might be flown to New Zealand to help in the inquiry.