Pubdate: Tue, 10 May 2005 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Lena Sin Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) CUSTOMS OFFICER ACCUSED OF SMUGGLING POT OUT ON BAIL SEATTLE -- Altaf Merali, the Canadian customs officer accused of smuggling 100 kilograms of pot across the border, was released on bail yesterday after his mom paid a $50,000 US bond. Merali's family -- his wife Jennifer, mother, brother, a cousin who is Canadian counsel to Uganda, and two friends -- drove from B.C. to U.S. District Court in Seattle for his bail hearing. "Given Mr. Merali is very close to his family, I cannot think of any reason Mr. Merali wouldn't come to court because he knows he'd lose his mother's money and all ties to his family," defence lawyer Paula Deutsch told the court. Deutsch said Merali would stay at his mother's home with his wife and two sons while awaiting trial. "His family is disappointed in him but they're willing to be supportive and helpful," said Deutsch. Merali, 37, of Surrey, was charged last Wednesday with conspiracy to distribute marijuana after the pot was found in his van. Merali drove to the border last Tuesday with his customs uniform hanging in the rear window and allegedly confessed after he was stopped for a random inspection. According to court documents, he said he did it because an Indo-Canadian gang had threatened to hurt his family. U.S. District Attorney David Jennings argued in court that Merali should stay in custody. "The excuse of a threat is a built-in defence mechanism for Mr. Merali," said Jennings. "I don't believe that for a minute, but it gives him a way of not coming back down here and finishing what he started to do." Jennings also said Merali could not be trusted because he "was in the position of Canadian law enforcement and he betrayed that trust." Merali's co-accused, Jason Dean Smith, was released on a home equity bond of about $30,000 US. Outside court, Jennings said that if Merali did not come back, it would be "a second betrayal of trust [to his family] and he doesn't want to do that." Douglas College professor Colin Campbell, Merali's friend and ex-neighbour from Coquitlam, attended court out of "loyalty to a good person." "It still very much feels like a death in the family. Something very horrible has happened here and a lot of people have been damaged by it and all of us here are struggling to make sense of it," he said. Merali's next court date is May 18. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth