IMPORTATION OF OPIUM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2519, 14 July 1915, Page 8

IMPORTATION OF OPIUM

CHINESE FIREMAN FINED. ■ By Telegraph.—Press Association.-.' Auckland, July 13. On arrival of the steamer Caldergrove 'at Auckland from Philadelphia the Customs officers, in making their usual search, camo across six tins of opium and a tin of yen she concealed above one of the ship's boilers. The opium wps 1 claimed .by ■ a Chinese fireman named Chan Fook, and he was brought before Mr. E. V. Eraser, S.M., this morning on a charge of having had opium in his possession. ; i Mr. Ridings stated that the illegal importation of opium .from ships that carried Chinese among the crew was gradually 'increasing. •• Recently the Customs oflicials had. found <160 tins in a ship that'came to Auckland with empty bunkers.' Usually it was possible to find very littlo of the opium,' but as the coal and cargo ,went down, as the ships discharge at ports down the coast, the Chinese got at the hiding placos of the opium, and ran the stuff ashore. He felt quite suro that it would be found that opium would be run from this ship at southern ports. The six tins of opium! contained 360z., and yen she (seconds) Coz., the value being about £15. 1 The accused, through an interpreter, stated that he was an inveterate opiumeater, and had been so for the last twenty, years. _He needed the opium, which was for his own use, and hp could not work" without it.

The Interpreter: "He tells mo ho oats and smokes about half an ounce a day, and ho would.die without it. The yen she is the opium cooked for eating. Ho. got the opium from a Chinese aboard a ship in an English port near America-.".

His Worship remarked that if accused had declared the opium ho would not have been charged with any offence. Ho must bo fined £100, tho minimum, which was reduced under the'special section to £25, with 225. 6d. costs, Mr. Ridings mentioned that accused had £27 pay coming to him, and that if ho did not pay. his fine the captain of the ship would have to enter into a bond for £200, that the man would not. bo- left here. The. opium would' be forfeited, but the man would probably be allowod to keep the yen she.