Man faces double sentence

Press, 29 October 1982, Page 24

Man faces double sentence

From LES BLOXHAM in Bangkok An Auckland man arrested on two serious drug charges in Bangkok faces a double term of life imprisonment. The accused, aged 39, whose name will not be released until he is sentenced next week, has pleaded guilty to possessing heroin and attempting to export the drug. He was arrested on June 10 at Bangkok Airport after a search revealed a sachet in one of his socks containing 170 grams of pure heroin. It had an estimated street value of $250,000. The man, who was using

an alias, was planning to board an aircraft bound for Zurich. New Zealand Embassy officials in Bangkok has confirmed that the accused was awaiting sentence. They emphasised that they were not at liberty to release his name. It is believed the man has been living in Sydney for several years. His elderly mother and a teen-age daughter still live in Auckland. He has a criminal record in New Zealand. The Thai Crown prosecutor has indicated that he will press for a double sentence, which in Thailand is treated as a consecutive rather than

a concurrent term. Both charges carry mandatory life terms (50 years). * Another New Zealander, Andrea Resetar, aged 29, is serving a sentence of 33 years in a Bangkok jail on drug charges. She was arrested in the northern city of Chiang Mai in November, 1979. Embassy officials report that she is in good health. She was visited by her young daughter and another relative in August. The Thai authorities even permitted Resetar to celebrate the girl’s tenth birthday with her in jail. Resetar is at present being held in the Women’s Correctional Institution at Klongprem

on the outskirts of Bangkok. According to the New Zealand Embassy officials, the correction centre has better conditions than the jail at Chiang Mai where Resetar served the first 17 months of her sentence. The Auckland man who awaits sentence has been held at the Medical Correction Centre in Bangkok. He will probably serve his term at the city’s maximum security prison, Bang Kwang Jail. At present 405 foreigners are serving 10-year to 30year terms for drug offences in Thailand. About 12 New Zealanders have been jailed during the last 18 months.