‘Mr Asia’ ready to talk?

Press, 15 January 1982, Page 5

‘Mr Asia’ ready to talk?

The “Mr Asia" drug ring leader. Alexander Sinclair, was ready to tell the Australian Royal Commission on Narcotics all about the ring’s work, the “Daily Star" newspaper has reported. As a result, the newspaper said, "hatchet-men in the world-wide drugs empire he once ruled have put a million pound ($2.3M) price on his head."

They wanted him “rubbed out" before he talked, the report said. Sinclair, a New Zealander, was one of four persons convicted and jailed for life last July after the marathon "Mr Asia" trial. Mrs Justice Heilbron ordered that he should serve not less than 20 years in

prison for the murder of his former business partner. Christopher Martin Johnstone ("Mr Asia"), whose handless corpse was found in a North of England quarry.

Sinclair was also sentenced to 14 years jail for conspiracv to import prohibited drugs, and three years for conspiracy to supply. Appeals in the case are pending but are unlikely to be heard until at least midyear because of the time needed to make transcripts of the 123-day trial. The “Daily Star” reported: ". . . he (Sinclair) has indicated that he is ready to tell all about the drugs' operation."

A team of three from the Australian Royal Commis-

sion, headed by Mr Justice Stewart, which visited Britain early last month, is believed to be back in London.

It was not revealed who they saw during their fiveday visit in December but sources at the Australian High Commission said at the time that their programme might be restricted because of the pending appeals in the “Mr Asia” case.

The "Star" quoted an Australian spokesman in London as declining to say when the Commission would interview Sinclair in his cell at a topsecuritv prison on the Isle of Wight.'