Mark Standen awaited arrival of Christmas 'gifts'

AS Christmas 2007 approached, Mark Standen and his alleged co-conspirator were in pretty high spirits, a court heard yesterday.
 

They had been told by their overseas contacts that there were "presents" in the mail.

The Supreme Court was told they were allegedly referring to a planned importation of the drug pseudoephedrine, used to make the illicit drugs speed and ice.

Standen, who has pleaded not guilty to three charges, allegedly used code names and draft emails to communicate with alleged co-conspirator James Kinch.

In one email tendered to court, written in early December, Kinch allegedly told Standen he was "trying to get all the presents in early so as not to get caught up in the last-minute panic!!"

In a recorded conversation a week or so later, when Standen met alleged co-conspirator Bakhos "Bill" Jalalaty in a coffee shop near his NSW Crime Commission offices, they allegedly discussed the emails, referring to "B52", which the court has previously heard was Kinch's nickname. "Yeah I'm sweating, he said to me ... 'I am trying to get some, trying to get some Christmas presents in the post'," Standen said.

Jalalaty said he had "already paid for the next container" and Standen replies: "That's what he said, I'm working on the Christmas presents plural, not just one."Standen added: "It looks like we will have a nice Christmas."

The case continues.