A Canadian court has refused to grant political asylum to Lai Changxing, China's most wanted fugitive.

The federal appeals court in British Columbia affirmed a lower court's February 2004 decision that refused refugee status to this former smuggling gang leader.

Officials said that Lai Changxing has until June 10 to appeal the decision in Canada's Supreme Court.

Lai Changxing was the mastermind of a criminal ring that allegedly smuggled six billion dollars worth of goods from Fujian province in southeast China.

He fled in 1999 with his wife and children to Canada.

They were subsequently detained in November 2000 for violating immigration laws.

Source: CRI News