FARM RAIDED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 603, 7 August 1933, Page 2

FARM RAIDED

SEIZURES BY POLICE BURIED COUNTERFEIT MONEY AND ALLEGED COINING PLANT. " SYDNEY COUP. A raid was made upon a Maltese farm at BlacktOwn, 2 miles from Sydney, recently, hy a large party of de'fectives and customs officers. They found a coinipg pjant and about 1000 counterfeit shillings and florins in various stages of manufacture huried on the fai'm. The detectives say they consider the coins to he the best imi'tations tliey have ever seen, and state that they could probably pass bank offioials. Detectives Shields and Calman recently noticed that four Maltese, who had engaged various houses in the city, would stay only a week in them .before departing. They also discovered that some Maltese would go to the munieipal markets every Friday with lappare'ntly only one or t'wo counterfeit coins in their possession and pass "them. In this way there was no danger of arrest, hecause the practice of the pqlice was to charge nien with uttering only when they .had three or. more coins in tlieir possession. I About six weeks ago the detectives traced sopae Maltese to a farm at Blacktown, and ..spent many nights wadting in-the darkness and cold near the farm. They were anxious to "discover an illieit spirit still, and hoped to smell the liquor if it was being made. They were unahle to do this. However, they decided to raid the farm. Alsatian WatchdoSs, At about- 10.30 o'clock on the mor.ning of July 12 a large posse of detectives and constables and two customs offieials approached the afrm, which covered about ten acres. It was heing used to grow "vegetables and maize, while portion of it was a poultry farm. ■ As the party was about to enter the gate, two Alsatian dogs rushed toward the men, who hastily hacked out. The Alsatians kept the party at ha,y and rushed ferociously at anyone who attempted to enter. The detectives called to a woman in the house to call the dogs off and tie them up. She told th'em to keep ontside. In the meantime a numher of Maltese, who had been working in the garden, had been running about, and were greatly excited. Drawing his revolver, Detective-Sergeant Surridge called out that he would shoot the Alsatians if they were not called off. The proprietor of the farm tied np the dogs, after th'e raiding party had heen delayed about a quarter of an hour.

Digging in the Garden. Once inside the farm, the detectives and customs officers hegan a thorough search. There was a number of poultry pens and sheds containing poultry feed, which covered about an acre of the farm. Some of the detectives searched the gardens, while others searched the isheds, and the farmhouse. The search lasted well into the afternoon. The detectives frequently became bogged in the soft soil as they searched through vegetable plots in the rain. They became wet to the skin a,s they searched every yard of a large patch of maize, from which the rain was dripping. Suddenly Detective Calman and Constable Lee found a patch of soft •earth which' had been covered over 'with grass. Withl the assistance of other detectives they commenced to d'ig. A few feet down they unearthed a box, which, on heing opensd, was found to contain hundreds of what were taken. to he counterfeit shillings and florins in various stages of manufacture, from coins rough from the mould to the finished product. The finished coins were an exceptionally good imitation. In the box also were ■bottles of nitrate of silver, moulds, electric hatteries and other articles. Th'e detectives diseovered that there were seven Maltese at the' farm, six of whom slept in the sheds among hags of bats and other produce used for feeding the poultry. When searching these sheds they allege they found another hundred counterfeit coins among the blankets. Two fully-ioaded a.utomatic pistols were also found. Pursuing their search, the detectives diseovered a dipping hath, which, they state, could h'ave been used for treating coins which came out of a mould. There were also quantities of silver and copper and other metals. In the farmhouse a hottle of rum was found, and another bottle partly filled. In this house they also found a .44 calibre revolver of an old. type, which was not loaded. The detectives ar rested three men, and conveyed them to the Parfamatta police station. One man was charged with having had counterfeit coins and coining plant in his possession, and with having been in possession of an unlicensed pistol. Another was charged with having had illieit -spirit and a revolver in his possession, and the third man was charged with having heen in possession of an unlicensed pistol.