People smuggler to face extradition

AUCKLAND - An Iraqi-born man accused of organising a boat voyage on which 353 asylum seekers bound for Australia died off the Indonesian coast has abandoned an appeal against his arrest in New Zealand.

Maythem Kamil Radhi was due to appear in the High Court in Auckland on Monday to appeal a District Court decision allowing him to be arrested by New Zealand police to face charges in Australia.

However, prosecutor Natalie Walker told NZN he had abandoned the appeal.

Radhi is now set to face an extradition hearing in Manukau District Court on a date yet to be determined.

Radhi was one of three alleged organisers of the voyage of the SIEV X, a small and overcrowded refugee boat that sank off the coast of Indonesia.

Two other men, Abu Quassey and Khaleed Daoed, have been jailed for their role in the voyage - Quassey in Egypt and Daoed in Queensland.