OPIUM DEN RAIDED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 93, 10 December 1931, Page 5

OPIUM DEN RAIDED

(Press. Assn.—

STOUTLY BARRICADED POLICE TAKE HALF AN HOUR TO EFFECT ENTRY EIGHT CIIINESE ARRESTED

•By Telegraph — Copyright) .

WELLINGTON, Wed. , Heavily barricaded doors and windows greeted a posse of police which raided premises occupied by Chinese in Haining Street this afternoon. After endeavouring . to force an entry with crowbars and other . implements for over half an hour. a door at the back of the house was ultimately opened. . 0 The police entered and seized a considerable quantity of opium, together with a large sundry paraphernalia used for smoking the drugs. Eight Chinese were placed under arrest and will appear before the Police Court to-morrow morning. kiuspicions that there was opium smoking going on in the vicinity, were first aroused by a constable sme'lling an unmistakable odour of the drug while passing through Haining Street in the course of his duty early in the afternoon. The constable lost no time in reporting the matter to headquarters, and within half an hour a body of police were endeavouring to force an -entry to the premises, which are known as. No. 36. The presence of stout pieces of wood clamped together. with solid brackets of iron, which were securely placed over the doors, prevented an entry being gained for over half an hour. A large crowd watched the proceedings.