Nguyen Tuong Van, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand but whose family is Vietnamese, was arrested in Singapore's Changi airport in December 2002 carrying almost 400 grams of heroin strapped to his lower back and in his backpack.

Since then, he has assisted Australian Federal Police investigations into an Australia-based international drug cartel.

"We've lodged a petition for clemency with the Singapore president," lawyer Lex Lasry said, adding: "There's been a trial, there's been an appeal, this is the last step in the process."

Singapore President Sellapan Rama Nathan is currently on an official visit to Australia.

Lasry said Singapore's constitution allowed for leniency if a co-accused gave evidence that led to the conviction of a main offender.

In Nguyen's case, this would be if information he provided could be used to arrest members of the syndicate he was briefly involved with, he said.

Referring to information Nguyen gave investigators, Lasry said: "There was obviously a benefit in that for Australia, but (also) for any Southeast Asian country."

Australian Federal Police confirmed Thursday that they had interviewed Nguyen in relation to an investigation.

Police gave Nguyen's defence team a letter generally given to "people who have assisted with investigations," a spokeswoman told AFP.

The plight of the 24-year-old sales executive from the southern city of  Melbourne has also been taken up by Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell who has called on the Pope to plead for Nguyen's life.

"People who have met him and have talked to him say that his repentance is genuine," Pell told ABC radio.

"It was his first oversees trip, he has admitted his guilt right from the start. I have sent off the file to the Holy Father, to Pope John Paul II, asking for his support."

Nguyen, who emigrated to Australia as a child, told police he was smuggling the drugs to help pay off a debt owed by his twin brother. He was sentenced to death last year.

Lasry said he expected Nguyen to know whether his petition has been successful within three months.


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