17 Mar 2005

Death row Aussie helps Singapore police

An Australian man jailed in Singapore for drug trafficking may escape execution by helping police nab the bosses of an international drug syndicate.

Melbourne sales executive Nguyen Tuong Van, 24, could also have the Pope on his side, with Cardinal George Pell asking John Paul II to lend his support to Nguyen's appeal for his life.

The Australian government has also become involved, with Prime Minister John Howard speaking to the Singaporean government about Nguyen, who was arrested in transit through Singapore's Changi airport in December 2002.

Last year, Nguyen was sentenced to death after the Singapore High Court found him guilty of smuggling almost 400 grams of heroin. Last month he lost an appeal against the sentence.

But since his arrest, Nguyen has been helping the Australian Federal Police with its investigation into an Australian-based international drug syndicate, according to his lawyer, Lex Lasry, QC.

 Posted by Hello

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