OPIUM SMOKER CAUGHT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 90, 3 May 1937, Page 6

OPIUM SMOKER CAUGHT

Trader In Drug Heavily Fined NAPIER CHBNESE Two opdum pipes, a slusb lamp, and £72 worth of opium formed tbe police exhibits in the Napier Magislrate'e Court this morning wben two Cbinese were fined £75 by Mr. J, Miller, S.M., in separate cbargvs under tbe Dangerous Drugs Act. Jack Yee, of 'Napier, launderer, was fined £25 for being rn possession of opium-smoking utensils, and Wong Ling was fined £50 for being in tbe possession oi prepared opium. . • In regard to tbe case against Yee, Detcctivo-Sergeant H. Nuttall said accused was a launderer, owning a business in Diekens gtreet.. . At. 7Ap P-.ni-ea Sunday, tbe sergeant, aecompanied oy Detecuve Ji. Vv. Miils anu l/uiletables J. Smitb and .S. Lusb, paid a visit to tfie iaundry, Accused, wno had been lying on bm Ued, smok.ing opium, fiad taro wa tbe pupe under a oeneb in the iaundry, When recovered it was still bot, A small quantity of opium only was found in iiis possession/ togetber witb tbe pipe, a siush lamp, and a pricker. . Accused wae before tbe Court iast year, wben be was fined £30. Tbis had not yet been fully paid. Tbe Bench: It seems tbat tbere is no pption but to fix tbe manimum penalty. MIt is qot a bad case," said tbe de-tective-sergeant in reply to a question. "He is a well-known opium smoke r, and smokes aii tbe time. Tbere *>1$ no chance of stopping tbese men." Accused was allowed time in whicb ro pay tbe £25 fine, and an order was made for tbe confiscatiion of tbe smok' ing outfit. "It was known to the police tbat tbjs man is a trader in opium," said Detective-Sergeant Nuttall in regard to Wong Sing, wbo was found on Saturday jn tbe posseesion of a quantity of opium. "The _ man is a strangc to tbe district, and he had eluded us for some time until he was caught on Saturday by Deteetive Mills. Whea apprehended in Station street be bad three balf-ppund tins of ^prepared opium, unopened, in bis possession, valued at. about £72. "He bas been in tbe district about two or tbree months, and has done no work. He gets the opium from a Cbinese firm in Wellington, " Tbe Bench: This is a very much more serioua offence, and the fine will be correspondingly much greater, Is be trading in a big wayf Detective-Sergeant Nuttall: One and a-half pounds of opium goes a long way at tbe retail price of £2 an ounce. I think tbat as be is a stranger to the district we would never see him again" if timo were allowed in which to pay. He bad £13 in bis possession when ar* fested. Tbe penalty for default in payment of tbe fine was fixed at two montbs' imprisonment.