SEEKING COCAINE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1930, Page 2

SEEKING COCAINE

VISITOR TO STEAMER

SUSPECTED ADDICT’S SCHEME

BOGUS ORDER TO WAREHOUSE,

AUCKLAND, July 27

A series of suspicious incidents which occurred aboard an overseas steamer at Auckland on Sunday and Monday lias led to the belief that there is in this city at least one drug addict who will stop at little to obtain relief for his cravin'*.

On Sunday last a well-dressed man. of professional appearance, stepped smartly aboard the vessel and asked one of the apprentices if- the doctor was aboard. _ When told that the doctor was away he asked for the officer of the watch .(who happened tr be the chief officer), whom he told that i>d was a doctor acting on helialf of ijbe Board of Trade. In a very ingratiating way he apologised to the officer for having come aboard on the Sunday, ns .lie had to inspect and report on the ship’s dispensary and medical equipment, and especially check off the supply of drugs. On the chief officer asking 'for his credentials he .became more verbose, which raised suspicions in the officer’s mind that there was “something Rshy” about him. Tn spite of his prolix excuses and explanations the visitor was unable to.produce anv authorin', and the officer advised him to return next, day properly certified explaining; Dm* all the dangerous narcotics On which the visitor seemed to be the most interested) were ker>t locked ut> ’n, the master’s safe. The chief officer had the keys giving access to trie safe, hut in view of the visitor’s overeagernoiss he decided to he careful.

VO (Civ ON THE PHONE. The visitor did not return on Monday but another extraordinary incident occurred. A requisition for medical supplies, signed by the ship s doctor and the master, had been sent to the agent’s office, and thence forwarded to the wholesale druggists. Later : p the thiv, the manager of the firm of druggists was telephoned by a man, who called himself the “surgeon-com-mander” of the vessel. The man said that he had forgotten to requisition some drugs he needed, and, after a long chat, during which he showed considerable knowledge of medicine, he asked for 4 07, of cocaine to be added to the order.

Alarmed by the amount ordered enough to poison the whole ship s com-pany--the firm got . in touch with the agents, who immediately inquired of the ship’s doctor his reason for asking for. such a quantity. The doctor declared himself “flabbergasted.” He already had aboard the ship more than enough narcotics, which' had been given hint when the ship was carrying immigrants, and had never been sent ashore again. When the doctor rang the manager of the chemical suppliers, the hitter immediately said that it was a different -voice altogether from that which find ordered the cocaine. CAPEFUL WATCH IN VAIN,

When the supplies from the druggist oame aboard, a careful watch was kept in the hppe of catching the bogus doctor trying to pilfer his order oi cocaine. No sign of him was seen. Either lie had got the wind of the fact that his ■ scheme had failed, or else his plans were very deeply hidden, for the consignment showed no sign of having been interferred with 'from the time it left the warehouse until it was safely under lock and key in the ship’s dispensary. It is stated that the recent tightening up of'the laws governing the sale of narcotics had hit drug-addicts in New Zealand very hard. TJntil rerecently it was possible to buy several of the drugs most commonly used quite freely from any chemist’s shop, but the law has been amended to prevent this. Doctors’ prescriptions are also very carefully checked, and, as far as possible, the destination of every ounce of drug in the country is recorded. While smuggling is still carried on to a certain extent, J he drugs so brought into the country i re very costly, and usually of inferior quality.