TRAFFIC IN OPIUM.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 99, 20 April 1914, Page 8

TRAFFIC IN OPIUM.

NO ORCAHIS'tO IMPORTATION. In the Supreme Court at Palmerston North on April 11th, Inspector Marsack, when asking that a Chinese opium-runner caught rad-banded as he stepped on the Auckland expiess, should he fined tlm full amount, staled that the accused had been in the I habit of meeting Eastern boats arriving at Auckland, receiving opium, I and carrying it through the country. The police bad been trying tor a long time to catch tin l culprit; this time they bad caught him red-handed.

When seen on the subject by an Auckland pressman, Chief .Detective McMahon said that the authorities in Auckland knew nothing of the story told by Inspector Marsack. There vas less opium smoking, and certainly less opium smuggling, going on in Auckland now than ever before. The police here were not aware of any organised system of illegal importation and were confident that opium smuggling was not being carried on by any syndicate in Auckland. One reason why the police are so sure of this is that they have long had the hearty co-operation of a considerable section of Chinese in Auckland in putting down the opium habit. “Just as many Europeans are always anxious to help us in putting down immorality,” said Mr McMahon, 1 so we have respectable Chinese residents in this city ready and willing to help us to suppress any trade in opium. If a syndicate was at work here wo would very soon know about it. The Customs officials also hear out Mr McMahon’s statement, and consider that very little opium smuggling goes on in this port.