By Canadian Press

Mountie with airport knowledge says he warned against arresting Meng on plane

Nov 26, 2020 | 1:25 PM

VANCOUVER — An RCMP officer who oversaw a small team based at Vancouver’s airport says he dismissed a suggestion the night before Meng Wanzhou’s flight landed to arrest the Huawei executive by boarding her plane.

Sgt. Ross Lundie says he had concerns about the suggestion “right off the bat” when the officers tasked with executing the arrest raised it on Nov. 30, 2018.

Lundie testified in B.C. Supreme Court that he told the Mounties boarding a plane for an arrest was “not something we do” unless there is an immediate public safety concern, and that the Canada Border Services Agency needed to be included in the discussion.

Lundie says that having worked on a national security team alongside border officers, he understood they had responsibilities to screen foreign nationals arriving in Canada and was mindful of stepping on their toes.

Lundie is testifying as part of an evidence-gathering hearing as part of Meng’s ongoing extradition case.

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Her lawyers are collecting information to bolster their allegations that Canadian officials improperly collected evidence against Meng under the guise of a routine immigration exam before informing her of her arrest and right to counsel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2020.

The Canadian Press