DUPED THE CUSTOMS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1932, Page 8

DUPED THE CUSTOMS

WOMAN’S 'CLEVER RXJSE. Diamond's placed in glass eye ■ LONDON, ■ September 24. Never have smugglers been so busy on the. Belgian frontiers as they are now. Day and night contraband- is being carried in and out of Belgium, Germany, Fiance and Holland. Only the other week 300 smugglers were engaged in a pitched battle with frontier guards - at Aix-la-Qhapelle. Belgium i-'recently reinforced 1 her frontier Customs posts and connected them by cyclist gendarme patrols, white German precautions Were also intensified, but .the evil' gees on, the smugglers invtenting one smart device after "another • to- outwit’ the officials. Tobacco, . cigafs-'-and cigarettes -are considerably cheaper in Belgium thar in Germany'or, Franc©, - and when smuggled l - across the frontier yield splendid- profits, -u • ■ ' ’■ . : J ■Occasionally a light motor van wd rush the frontier posts with a load, and for ia, time touring cars with theiupholstery stuffed with -tobacco- cheat ed Customs officers'.'"' When this trie l became ' too swell known; snare tyre' were filled with the- contraband. • Not long ago a Customs- officer was awakened in the dead of night by the sound of galloping horses, and reported the matter to .headquarters. It* was found that smugglers; were loading horses with' contraband 1 and, striking them a heavy bloiv on 'the haunches with a stick, sending them galloping riderless acrosfrtbe frontier, where they wene ohiightA by '-confederates *'■ Jewellery grid precious stones arc ‘ also among the illicit “exports” ’from Belgium. A smartly 5 dressed woman journeyed -acrofis the' Beilgi'an frorit’o; so frequently by. the s-me-route tlr+she fe-W .under suspicion. Her' pass-i nert was- in perfect' order and, nb though she was ! Ffi‘ng I .ed : out for 'Seancfr many times', nothing' was Sve-r '.found to prove that she was engaged in attvthing other than legitimate business. ■ ■•■'• - "' "■ -' • ' " !

'One day, ' 'howbv©r, an anonymon-r letter drew ! the authorities’ attentio n to the fact that she had a glass eye Tt : was found' that this was an ingete iously contrived receptacle for diamonds.

To-day even children are- being ■taught to crawl across the frontier wjtli' smuggled'"' goods. During ! the first three .months of this year German Oiilstoms officials- seized from; smugglers 2,000,(XX) cigarettes, over 40 tons of coffee, 35 tons of cereals, and 30 tons of flour. ,

’Smuggled into Belgium are drugs particularly cocaine and morphine, and liquers .and spirits. A ;gnea,t proper tion of the" lattfer' com© by sea ir strings of containers,!?-which float foot 'dr two beneath the surface o r the water "find are towed by innonentlooking motor boats or.fishing smacks. Drugs, are smuggled in a thousand different 'Ways. An aged Belgian'peasant who drove daily a- donkey cart to a German village ■to •" dispose'of vegetables, tires always offered a drink in the local estaminbt by ia. man with whom' Tie had no business iat all.

'Returning to his-' ovvii village he was invariably invited to take a drink by another party. Nobody WftS frier,& sure prised than! lie when he learned from the police thait, while he wa,s'' dridkfngt d nig s had been concealed in and taken, from his cart.