29 Oct 2018

Why was convicted Czech drug smuggler given NZ residency?

From Morning Report, 6:42 am on 29 October 2018

The Immigration Minister, Iain Lees-Galloway, is under pressure to explain why he granted a convicted drug smuggler from the Czech Republic New Zealand residency. Jan Antolik, whose real name is Karel Sroubek, was jailed for five years for importing nearly five kilograms of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, with a street value of $375,000. Mr Lees-Galloway says the decision to grant residence was made after careful consideration of all the information available at the time and the man is subject to significant conditions. He has declined to come on Morning Report saying for privacy and legal reasons, he can't comment on specific details of the case. National's immigration spokesperson and former minister of the portfolio, Michael Woodhouse, talks to Guyon Espiner.