Immigration offers no answers on jailed man

Saeid Vadati

Immigration officials are refusing to say how an Iranian serving a drug-smuggling jail sentence was able to gain residency after earlier being thrown out of the country under escort.

The Immigration Service says Saeid Vadati had his refugee status approved by the Refugee Status Appeal Authority but would not give further details.

What is known is that Vadati arrived in October 1997 on a false Swedish passport and requested refugee status.

According to evidence he gave in court, he was expelled under escort back to Iran in February 2000. He was intercepted again at Auckland International Airport five months later travelling under an assumed identity and carrying false British and Iranian passports.

Some months later he had refugee status and New Zealand residency.

This means taxpayers have to foot the bill for his imprisonment and he cannot be deported after release.

Vadati said in court that his status was due to a mistake but did not explain.

Asked about this, Immigration said it could not comment on individual cases but implied nothing improper had occurred.

Spokeswoman Mary Anne Thompson said the Department of Labour - of which the Immigration Service is part - assessed refugee status claims solely in accordance with the Refugee Convention.

"There is never any unusual or [alternative] standard or process used."

The appeal authority is an independent body. It publishes decisions but not the name of the applicant.

Vadati, who is serving 7 1/2 years for smuggling crystal methamphetamine from Malaysia to New Zealand, is one of three Iranians convicted or charged with drug smuggling who are confirmed as having refugee status.

The others are Behnam Rahimi, serving nine years in prison for importing methamphetamine and having it and opium for supply, and Amir Lotf Avar.

Lotf Avar has absconded while on bail on charges of importing methamphetamine and possessing the drug for supply. Police suspect he has left NZ on a false passport.

Iranian criminals in New Zealand have become a major problem for drug enforcement authorities. North and South magazine reported that 42 per cent of the 35kg of imported crystal meth seized in the 12 months to March 2005 was due to a loose association known by Customs and police as the "Iranian network".

Police consider the network to be a major - if not the major - importer of meth. It involves men who may have a common supplier an Iranian known as Haji living in Malaysia.