Couple on drug charges disappear

Hong Quin Huang and Jian Zong Xie are wanted by police.

Police are hunting a couple who may be trying to flee to China after being bailed on charges of importing enough drugs to make up to $15 million worth of methamphetamine.

Jian Zong Xie (also known as Michael) and Hong Quin Huang are the second couple to flee while on bail for serious pseudoephedrine-related charges.

The couple were arrested in December after police discovered pseudoephedrine products and blank credit cards under their house. Pseudoephedrine is used to make the illegal drug P.
Police did not initially oppose their bail as neither had a criminal record in New Zealand, strict bail conditions had been sought and their passports seized.

However, Xie was allegedly caught last month importing further pseudoephedrine products into the country. As police arrested two other men, the 36-year-old fled.

When his 34-year-old wife reappeared in court last week police wanted her taken into custody, fearing she would try to follow her husband. A hearing to discuss their opposition to bail was set down for the following day but she failed to appear.

Police found her home empty, and believe the couple are hiding, planning their escape to China.

Detective Sheree Gray, from the Auckland Drug Squad, said the couple first came to police attention when a package containing many credit cards was intercepted from China.

The package was traced to the couple's Mt Albert home, where more credit cards and a large amount of pseudoephedrine products were found. The 276 credit cards were allegedly used for skimming - fraud in which details from people's credit cards are copied on to blank cards.

Mrs Gray said 20 importations of the drug Contact NT, similar to the decongestant Sudafed, were traced to the couple from November to January.

The pseudoephedrine in those importations was enough to make methamphetamine or P worth between $10 million and $15 million.

Police believe the couple will use false passports in an attempt to get to China by boat or plane. Port and aviation authorities are on alert. "They have every motivation in the world to leave New Zealand and no reason to stay," said Mrs Gray. "My guess is they are going to be trying anything they can to get out of New Zealand."

Before skipping bail the couple sent their two primary school-aged children back to China and there have been rumours Xie was trying to get enough money to stow away on a container ship.

Mrs Gray said it was frustrating having two alleged offenders disappear. However, it was unrealistic to expect everyone that was arrested could be held in custody.

"Naturally it would be fantastic for police if all offenders were kept in jail but unfortunately it's just not a realistic scenario at all," she said. "All we can do is oppose it and see what they do from there."

Detective Sergeant John Sowter, also from the Auckland Drug Squad, made a similar comment two weeks ago when it was revealed that Chinese students Hao Yang and Weikun Jin skipped after being charged with supplying tablets for the manufacture of methamphetamine in 2004.

Police did not oppose bail for Yang as he was helping with their investigation. When he vanished a month later police unsuccessfully opposed Jin's bail, but he too vanished.

Mr Sowter said it was frustrating for police but he could see why judges were reluctant to jail people for long periods while they were awaiting trial.

The charges

20 of importing a class C drug - enough pseudoephedrine to make up to $15m worth of methamphetamine.

1 of possession for supply.

1 of altering a document with intent to deceive, relating to 276 credit cards.

* Anyone with information about Xie and Huang's whereabouts can contact Mrs Gray on (09) 259-1049 or Detective Sergeant Mark Osbourne on (09) 259-0719.