WHISKY SMUGGLING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 723, 26 December 1933, Page 3

WHISKY SMUGGLING

BRITISH SYNDICATE MAKEIS EXCEPTIONALLY BIG PRGFITS. A DARING SYSTEM. London, October 30. Nobody . on the busy dockside at Leith paid any particular attenfion to the bustling, throhbing little steam trawler that was being loaded with innocent-looking wooden boxes. Just an ordinary trawler, if smarter and trimmer than the average, sh'e was. Flying the Panama flag, and skippered by a businessrlike man who went about his task with the air of an expert. 'But — little did the bystanders and the shiipping folk who watched that little craft take on its load of wooden ■boxes dream that here, hefore th'eir very eyes, was ibeing unfolded a new chapter in one of the most amazing smuggling dramas of modern itimes! (For that trawler, in dock at Leith, was one of a fleet of vessels being run hy a syndicate of London business •men, with offices in the West End, engaged in smuggling whisky and , other spirit from the Scottish to the Belgian Coast. Yesterday I met a man who has i been employed by the syndicate in this liquor-smuggling trade, the profits from which run into many thousands of pounds.'"I was approached in Antwerp by a member of the syndicate," he said, "and asked if I would work for them. 'I agreed, and satisfied the syndicate heads in London that I possessed an expert .knowledge of the Nortth, Sea from the navigation point of view. "I was warned that it would be a risky job, but I declared myself will'ing to take the risk. "My first engagement was to run the 500-ton steam trawler with a cargo of five hundred casks of spirits from Leith, in Scotland, to the Belgian Coast". Ready Market. "We loaded up without anybody having the least suspicion as to our bona. fides. The wihisky was hought in bond for a little over 4s a bottle. "We sailed immiediately, by night, • anl made straight for a position on the ; Belgian Coast tihree miles off ; land> between Nieuport and Ostend. "The coast at this spot is a stretch of low, sandy beach, just suitable for our te.sk of landing the cargo. "Here we were met hy six large motor-fishing vessels, and at 1 o'clock in the morning ihe work of transferring the spirits to the Belgian craft began. "The spirits were taken on by motor to Malines, where there is a ready market in the cafes, clubs and private houses for good Scotch whisky. The stuff is retailed in Malines,, and other centres, for 8s ai bottle, provided a number of cases are taken at a time. This amazing traffic in contraband liquor is still going on, despite the most vigilant effor'ts of the Customs authorities on both sides. « Plans have been laid to run another big cargo of spirit to Belgium early in November, and the London. business men who are running the traffic (hope to clear one of the Ibiggest margins of profit they have so far made. '