NEW CRIMES.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1920, Page 1

NEW CRIMES.

PARIS, Oct. 3.

Never has there been such a wave of crime on the Continent, and never have crim.inals shown such skill and powers of concentration and organisation.

“Five years of forced honesty during the war,” a well-known French detec-tive-inspector said to me the other day, “have not cured the born criminal. Rather have they had the contrary effect. Many criminals who managed to enter tlie army under false names were excellent soldiers. Some of them became brave officers. Now they have in many cases returned to their first Career, led to it by love of adventure, and also by that, mental kink which so often makes men criminals. They have brought with them their new-learnt powers of organisation and instant decision. They form the ‘general staff’ o r the criminal classes.” One of the most extraordinary instances of this new and dangerous link ing together of criminal bands, unde: the acute leadership of a skilled and cooi-headed organiser, can be seen ir the recent railway thefts which have been testing the powers of the police of half a dozen Continental countries.

Travellers abroad, especially in Italy. Before the war, were well aware of the cleverness of railway thieves. Valises and trunks used to be rifled or else they disappeared altogether. E-ut nowadays it is the wagon and truck load that the thieves operate. In Belgium recently a goods train was composed partly of mineral trucks and partly of closed wagons, laden with textiles and tobacco. The train. was shunted for the night near Mons. Next day it resumed Hs journey towards Antwerp, but with five wagons missing. The guard had duly received a slip, supposed tb be signed by the inspector in charge of the goods yard, informing him that, owing tb brake trouble, the missing wagons had been removed. It Was six weeks before the railway authorities were able to trace them. Eventually they were found at a small French frontier station, enipty. The thieves, who must have netted £20,000, were neVer caught.

The Panderings of a wagon-load of German dye-stuff are at present being investigated by the Paris police, but they have no clues, and it is most unlikely the criminals will ever be arrested.

A German factory addressed a wagonIbad of dye to an Austrian merchant in Vienna. Tile wagon had barely left tliv goods years before'it fell into the hands Oiie Of these international bands. The waybills were promptly destroyed and fresh forged ortes placed in the mail bags. The wagoh had its number changed aiid its destination painted out. Successively the Wftgoli travelled to, Bnissels, tb Amsterdam, iittd to Antwerp. It then left Belgium and went to Lyons, and finally readied the BatigUollfes goods station of PftriS. Apparently tlte bftrtd had agents in all these towns, but all refused to touch the dye-stuff. They were fight, for it is very difficult to sell dye-stuff. Not that there is a glut Of it, but the big merchants fehow where practically eVery ton of the stuff is placed.

lii Paris art Unsuspecting firm of commission agents promised to try and sell it. They offered the 10 tons to the French Natiohftl Dye-stuffs Company. But the firm knew that It) tons of German dye-stuff were not available in the market, ahd informed the police. The stolen dyes were seized, but the thieves got away. ■ ■ ,