Man Denies People Smuggling Rap

[george]

Man denies people smuggling rap

A PAKISTANI man pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges he masterminded a plan to smuggle nearly 400 illegal immigrants into Australia in 2001.

The man, extradited from Thailand last year, was identified in court papers as Hasan Ayoub. But he told the West Australian District Court on Wednesday that his name actually was Naem Ahmed Chaudry.

His lawyer, Rod Keeley, told the court the defendant's identity would be an issue during the trial. He did not elaborate.

The defendant pleaded innocent to 12 charges of smuggling people to Australia between December 2000 and March 2001. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors believe he is one of six major people smugglers known as "snakeheads" who have been based in Indonesia in recent years.

He was first detained in Cambodia in July 2001 after authorities intercepted a boat crowded with hundreds of would-be asylum seekers. He then traveled to Bangkok, where Thai authorities arrested him in December 2001 and extradited him at Australia's request.

His arrest followed a lengthy joint investigation by Australian Federal Police and the immigration department, aided by a number of overseas law-enforcement agencies.

Prosecutors believe he was trying to pioneer a new route for people trafficking from Asia to Australia using the southern Cambodian port of Sihanoukville as a departure point. He denied that and said he was in the country selling carpets.

Australia's hardline stance against asylum seekers and people smugglers has drawn international criticism from human rights groups, mainly because of tough detention policies. The government says its policies are fair, and that many asylum seekers pay huge sums to be smuggled in - effectively jumping ahead of poorer refugees.

--AP 2004-01-21