CAUGHT WITH OPIUM

Chronicle (Levin), 19 March 1946, Page 4

CAUGHT WITH OPIUM

CHARGES AGAINST CHINAMEN INCIDENT AT LEVIN The story of how a Chiuese market gardeiiei', Sue Wi-ng; of Loiigburii, pursued b}' a traffie inspector for an alleged breach of the road regulations, was discovered in the p°saessiou 01 opium,' was told in the Palmerston North M agistrate's Court yesterday. Hue Wing admitted being in possessian of the drug but a passenger of the truck, Lee Ivee, market gardener, or' Himatangi, when similarly cliarged, pleaded not guilty. Mr. .J. M. Gordon appeared as their counsel and Hergeant F. AL. Fullei prosecuted for the poliee. Traffie Inspector Keogh, of Levin, said that iast Friday evening he ob SdiN-M' a'1 speHtti'h,4' ^Vrl'ck 'afrd fdHbweii' it. However, each time he tiied 1 u overtake it, the truck driver bore over to the right -as if tp try to stop him. Eventually he got by and foreed the truck over to the left where the driver, who turned out to be Hue Wing. had to stop or go over a small bank. He asked Hue Wing for his driving licence but oue could not be produeed, so he told the Chinese to proceed bac! to the Levin police station where he could chec'k their names. This they did but on the way the truck stopped to let Lee Kee out. The traffie inspeetor said he was following closely behiud and saw that Lee Ivee had a pareei e.nder his coat. . He, therefore, also stopped and went after Lee Kee, then taking hinr to the police station in the traffie department's ear. v^'hen the) arrived at the poliee station Hue Wing was already there and the lirst thing Lee Kee did was to hand the pareei to Hue Wing. "Lee Ivee seemed very anxious to get rid of it, " added ihe inspeetor.

Hergeant Fuller said he had asked Lee Kee why he had walked away with the parcel which was found to be 21 bs. of opium, and the reply had been that Hue Wing had asked him to te ':e ii away. Lee Ivee had professed that he didn't know what was in the parcel exeept that it was medicine which Hue Wing had secured in Wellington from Joe Hing who had got it from a grocer. Sue Wing, in evidence, declared that Lee Kee didn't know what was in the. parcel. He wasn 't going to use the opium for smoking but as a plaster for rheuinatisin. He would rub it on his body and then put on a bandage. He had paid £2 15s for it. The opium as it was, could not be smoked; it would have to be treated iirst. Lee Kee,, said he had been given the parcel to take ea re of as it was rainiug' and tlie roof of the truck leaked. He had got out of the truck in order ,to secure an interpr.eter. Ile did not approve of the use of opium and hau he known what was in the parcel, he would not have taken cave of it. His Worship said the actions of Lee Kee were suspicious but he had given .a plausible excuse which was supported to some extent by the fact that he had •had opportunity to get rid of the opium. The cliarge against Lee Tvee •would therefore be dismissed. - As ■jvegards Hue Wing, the qiiantity oi opium was sufficient, if it was to be .used as a medicine, to relieve pain foi ,a very long time. His Worship liued Hue Wing £35.