Pubdate: Sat, 05 Aug 2000 Source: Age, The (Australia) Copyright: 2000 David Syme & Co Ltd Contact: 250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia Website: http://www.theage.com.au/ Author: Steve Butcher RECORD HEROIN HAUL ENDS IN 25 YEARS' JAIL A Victorian judge jailed a "thoroughly malevolent" and "cold-hearted" man for 25 years yesterday for a heroin importation conspiracy committed solely for personal greed. Country Court judge Thomas Wodak, who was urged to imprison Philip Chee Min Ng and a co-offender, Wai Man Li, for life, said the pair had willingly inflicted the misery of heroin on a large number of people. Judge Wodak told Ng, 43, he had observed him almost daily for more than two years, through two aborted trials and a final trial, and "I formed the opinion that you are a cold-hearted and callous manipulator of facts to your advantage". He said he regretted to say he had found Ng, who pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to import heroin worth about $24 million, a "thoroughly malevolent person" whose continued denial of involvement was "consistent with the absence of any concern for the misery which you were willing to exploit to feed your financial greed". Ng, of North Melbourne, who pleaded not guilty, was convicted by a jury, while Li, 46, of East Keilor, pleaded guilty to the same offence, committed between April and October, 1996. The jury heard the men undertook three importations, in wall plaques. But there was only evidence of one, a 23.7-kilogram shipment, between 78 and 80per cent pure, which was Victoria's largest seizure. Judge Wodak said the men had conspired with others, including Thai national Wanchai Khojaranusat, who arranged for students at Queensland's Bond University to send about $2.5million in profits from heroin and in payments for future importations by electronic transfer from Australia. The Age has learnt that Khojaranusat, who had fled Australia, now faces possible death by firing squad in Thailand after being arrested earlier this year allegedly in possession of about 100 kilograms of heroin. Judge Wodak said Ng and Li participated in a "carefully structured and sophisticated" organisation and each had committed "a most dreadful offence". He said at the time of their arrest, police found almost $600,000 in cash at Ng's address and almost $280,00 at Li's. He told Li that, by his plea, he had demonstrated a measure of remorse, but added that both men gave no "consideration to the destructive and anti-social consequences" of the drug's importation. Judge Wodak said such an amount `inevitably leads to injury and death for those who use heroin and to the exploitation and criminality associated with its usage". Ng was ordered to serve a minimum of 20 years and Li was jailed for a maximum of 21 years, with a minimum of 16 years. Each man has already served almost four years in pre-sentence detention. Federal Agent Wayne Buchhorn said outside court the sentences were the end of a long and complex investigation by the Australian Federal Police, National Crime Authority, Customs and the narcotics suppression bureau of the Royal Thai Police. - --- MAP posted-by: greg