OPIUM SMUGGLERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1924, Page 4

OPIUM SMUGGLERS.

w ELM NG TI )N I) ISC I ,OS U R KS ,

ADMISSION BY ACCUSED MAN

M ELLINGTON, .September

Ihe existence of an organised Chinese syndicate engaged in the enni-prelion-dve importation into New Zealand, and possibly Australia, of pncpared oi.ium was referred to in the .'l.agist rate's ('onrt to-day, when one ol its sell-confessed servants, a sbip’s earpeitter. All Pin, M|>pourtd before Air E. Page. It was eiuididly admitted that the aeeliKed was a mere tool

of a Calcutta ring and it was stated that, through Ids failure to take adequate precautions against detection.

i e would remain indebted to bis pirincipals for the lull value of the 1(10 lias of ooiiiea confiscated by the New Zealand anthori i ies. A line of L'.’MO. in default nine mouths’ imprisonment, was iuliieted.

The charge preferred against the neeused coiieenied the unlawful importation into tlie country of opium in a form suitable for smoking. Outlining the circumstances of the i.lienee, Mr P. S. K. Maea-sey, Crivu Prosecutor, said the information was laid under Section 2 of the Opium .Ait, K)H. ! , which made provision fur a penalty of l.'nOO. in default of which a term of imprisonment, not exceeding twelve months could be imposed. The licensed was a carpenter employed on the liner .Sussex which arrived here from Auckland on September In. At seven that evening All Pin was -u----costed by the Customs watchman as lie was proceeding ashore, and endeavoured to escape the interview by i ll'ering the officer L'2. As the re.-filt of a search at the hoarding inspector's office four tills of opium were found concealed round the mail’s waist and also a small pot in the left leg el his trousers. An investigation was carried out on the vessel and in the accused’s cabin were located all : Uoitiounl forty-eight tins. The following day another eleven tills were discovered among the man’s carpentering tools, and after the Sussex arrived at l.yltelti n the Custom’s officers there unearthed another thirty-seven litis. "That makes a total of 1(11) tins,” proceeded Mr Macassey, "and, curiously ,1 he thirty-seven tins found nt Lyttelton were located in the same place as the forty-eight tins were taken from, in Wellington, showing that a (oiifederate on hoard evidently put them there became he thought •iliatimr search would not lie made in that quarter. The value was about D3O per tiii, and the e.eeii-eil was found in possession ol a letter lloin Cliiimse in Dunedin ollei'iin.- In take twenty

"I am instructed to ray that the Department regards this case as a very serious one. It is serious iot oiilv on account of llm large quantity of opium which has been seized, which shows that an organised attempt is lining made to import considerable quantifies ol this drug into this country, but heceuxe of the laet that it supports the view which has licvii held hy Customs officers that there is a comprehensive ring in (x----isience to send the drug to tin Dominion and possibly to Australia end other countries. I need not point out how difficult it is to detect smuggling. Opium in quantity sufficient to do a great deal of harm call he secreted in a very small receptacle and landed quite easily hy lining carried e.hout on the picl'-on. I: seems quite obvious Unit in the ordinary niiir - ■ a man m ■ i-niying the |.o-,hum oi d, I-ml oil, •bin's eni'iienler. could mil linaime Midi a large purchase as Hint ol 'll tin - ol opium, the value of which in the Ea.-l must be verv substantial. 11, as is

suggested, a ring is operating, it is very iiupiirtaut that tin- big'ie.t possible penalties Imtli by way of a lin--and imprisonment should I•>.- ilium.-c b as llu ,-- might him- the i-l!<-: I ol ih-loi

"There i another aMicct oi ;he Ilia I lor ivliioli I thin!; i!, <• n sidcratinn, n;iir••!v .lliat i:i Ibid varioils mil ions entered into an <ij,i 11 in mulent ion v.itli a \ icw to the suppression of traffic in tlii- drug tthieli Inis made such inn,:■(!;; into the moral and jjliysit :il well-being of communities in

some older eminlries, ami ■ which will mi doubt Inn e a similar effect in Ww Zealand if it is not stamped nut. The opium convention is now administered by the League i.f Nations and New Zealand, as a member of that League. I:a •; its share of responsibility ill toe matter uf prohibiting the iiupurt at ion ami use of opium in a form soil able for smoking. The opium convention provides, inter alia, that controlling powers shall nrnliibit, either at cue-e or as s,„m as possible, the imparl a thm and exportation of prepared opium, the hind of opium seized, and shall lake measures for the gradual rod effective suppression of the manulaiture of internal trade in ami use of thi; drug, with due regard to the varying cii cumsi auevs of each country concerned. Tinier these ciivumstr nee, I ml: that a very substantial penalty be imposed.”

.Air W. K. Leicester, for accused, said a sort of prevalent notion existed in the Dominion that I lie Chinese combined and sold vegetables to pay lines of their compatriots wlm transgressed against the law, and the Customs Department may be expecting that their cullers would be further augmented. They were doomed to disappointment. All I’in could not pay a line; he is a prohibited immigrant and is totally devoid of friends, he has no one to turn to for assistance, lie lias never been in trouble before.

Air Maeasse.v : lie wa~- convicted I'n smuggling, not o| ium. on the last trip

Continuing, counsel declared that a ■- nisei! bad been the s. a;'.-goat of others, lie wm merely the ta d of an immense C'lirese syndicate c -ruling in ■Calcutta. Opium was not brought t,, New Zealand at bis reputst, but at the command of a syndicate whose agents approached him with instructions, and the refusal to carry them out would have been, to say the best of it. inconvenient for him. For that reason also lie bail refused to disclose the identity of I, is I'l iiivil als. The Chinese had a method of enforcing their wishes which, to Western eyes, seemed romrwliat Ibaibarie. Admittedly, the book was baited w ith a tempting commission but the disaster < niiscqucut upon failure to take ailei|imte precautions against detection bad never been impressed on the accused by the syndicate. For some thirteen years accused had lived in Burma and India, and there the Government permitted wholesale distribution of the drug. and licenses were easily obtained. ‘‘When inv c lient comes out of gaol,’’

added counsel, ‘‘his troubles are just beginning, lie has lost his commission

on the sale and will he obliged to ac

count to tlic syndicate for the full value of opium now in possession of the Customs Department. According to the customs and traditions of the race, accused, his relatives and those who come after him must repay the money. As accused is earning £1 10s per week as ship’s carpenter it will prolrahly take him his life-time a.ml the debt may go down as a legacy to his lieirs. As a disciple of Confucius there is no hope of heaven for Ah Pin until the deficiency is eliminated.”

Mr Leicester declared that the hulk of tho opium had l>een consigned for places other than New Zealand and pleaded that the maximum penalty