Deported TV3 crew arrive home

Sia Aston arrives in Auckland

TV3 crew arrive home

MICHAEL FIELD

WARM WELCOME: Deported TV3 reporter Sia Aston is greeted at Auckland Airport by her parents after leaving Fiji.

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A TV3 news crew deported from coup plagued Fiji have arrived home in Auckland.

Journalist Sia Aston and cameraman Matt Smith were yesterday held by Immigration officials for five hours and then put on today's flight home.

They were issued with a notice saying they were banned from further entry to Fiji.

"The government were not happy with the way we were reporting on events," Ms Aston said after being greeted by her parents.

"I don't think we were in fear of our lives, there was no water torture, most of them were fairly reasonable."

She said the situation for reporters on the ground was unpredictable.

Mr Smith kept filming while being taken into detention and then when he realised his camera was to be seized, he removed the footage.

 "Once I knew the camera was going to be confiscated I took the vision out and put it in the pocket," he said.

When the Fiji officials realised he had taken out the vision he was taken into another room and made to hand it over and then wiped it out electronically.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Sean Dorney was also deported from Fiji and was due in Sydney shortly.

- © Fairfax NZ News