Concern At Opium Sale To European

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31117, 21 July 1966, Page 7

Concern At Opium Sale To European

(New Sealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 20. It was 8 matter of considerable concern to the police that young European drug addicts were able to obtain opium from Chinese addicts, Detective-Sergeant B. A. Toomey said in the Magistrate’s Court today.

Sergeant Toomey said that Joe Sim, aged 67, a storeman, who pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying opium, had been selling prepared opium to a young man for 12 months. Mr M. B. Scully, S.M., remanded Sun in custody to July 27 for sentence and a probation report Sergeant Toomey said that for four weeks Wellington vice squad men watched Sun as be moved about the city. On a number of occasions after the accused had finished work he was met by a young

European and the two would drive to a hotel. Sun would return home briefly then return to the hotel and hand something over. On July fl at 4.40 p.m. the police apprehended the young European after he had kept his usual rendezvous with Sun. He had a four-gram packet of prepared opium. The accused, interviewed the same night, said he had been regularly supplying the drug to the man for 12 months. Sun admitted that he had been supplying a second young European man who had been living in the city. This man was dead, said Sergeant Toomey. In explanation, Sun said he regularly smoked opium. He supplied the drug to the first man to try to help him overcome his addiction. Sun was represented by Mr G. C. Kent.