Man Tells Police Drugs Were For Sick, Albino Buffalo Calf - Arrested

[matcom]

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AN accused New Zealand drug smuggler says he brought ephedrine into Australia not to make illicit drugs but to cure a sick, rare albino buffalo calf he wanted to sell to an Indonesian sultan.

Richard Thomas Gordon, 41, appeared in the Perth Magistrate's Court today where he also said he had skipped bail on November 28, 2006, because bushfires in NSW threatened his unique herd of albino buffalo and he had to walk them out of harm's way.

"It took me eight weeks. They couldn't be trucked, they had to be walked through the Great Dividing Range," Mr Gordon told the court via video link from prison.

Mr Gordon faces a charge of importing ephedrine, a prohibited precursor chemical which can be used to make amphetamines.

He was arrested on arrival at Port Hedland International Airport on August 19 on a flight from Bali.

Allegedly, he was found with 729g of ephedrine in four packs strapped to his thighs and groin.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21584605-1245,00.html