Canada's Federal Court opened on Wednesday the appeal hearing over the deportation of Lai Changxing, the leading suspect in China's most notorious smuggling case involving 10 billion U.S. dollars, but it didn't reach a verdict in the court.

Esta Resnick, a lawyer representing Citizenship and Immigration Canada, rebutted point-by-point reasons made by Lai's lawyer, David Matas, why the deportation order, now dated June 2, be stayed.

Resnick argued that Lai had exhausted all of his appeals. "This is a case of a common criminal fugitive from justice, nothing more," she said.

Lai's bid for refugee status has already been denied all the way up the Supreme Court of Canada.

"He's asking you to re-weigh evidence that was already heard before these various courts and tribunals. The public interest favors enforcement of the law," Resnick stressed.

Upon the closing of the hearing, Judge Layden-Stevenson promised to deliver a decision Thursday, or Friday morning.

Lai was accused of being the mastermind of a criminal ring which had conducted, in collaboration with corrupt officials, the biggest smuggling operation uncovered in China since 1949. Lai fled to Canada with his family in 1999.

Lai could be put on a flight to China as early as Friday if he doesn't win a reprieve from the Federal Court.

Source: Xinhua