COCAINE EVIL

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 327, 12 April 1928, Page 1

COCAINE EVIL

ALARM IN SYDNEY

DRUGS SMUGGLED FOR GIRLS

DEALERS AND CRIMINALS

(United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian Press Association)

Reed. 9.5 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. AS the result of a recent seizure of drugs smuggled into Sydney from the East, Police Commissioner Mitchell is urging the need of tightening up the laws against the use of cocaine and other drugs. He alleges that the use of these is growing to alarming proportions, and becoming a serious menace.

H E points out that police efforts at j suppression are handicapped in j that while the laws of New South j Wales provide heavy penalties, the j laws of some of the other States are ] less stringent. They will not be able j to deal with the evil effectively until j it is made a Federal matter, with uni- ; form legislation for the whole Com- j monwealth. Drugs, he said, were manufactured and doctored down in Java and Singapore, and thence smuggled to Australia. Dealing with police efforts to suppress this, he said they found women selling cocaine in the lounges of a fashionable hotel, right under the eyes of the management; they found : men living in luxury on tile sale of cocaine to unfortunate girls. Some of them were in charge of dozens of subordinates, who sold the drug in small quantities to the addicts. < Cocaine was circulated in all quar- 1

ters of the city. It was distributed from palatial flats at Darlinghurst and slums at Surrey Hills. The dealers in drugs were surrounded by gangs of criminals, who ’ helped to spend the profits. DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT Referring to the prevalence of the , drug traffic, the Hon. H. E. Pratten. Federal Minister of Customs, said that with legislation in other States ! similar to that in New South W r ales, the position might be considerably im- j proved; but, notwithstanding the ; most rigid precautions, it was impossible for the Customs Department to police every avenue of importation. The department was fully alive to its responsibilities, and was leaving no stone unturned effectively to control the importation and disposal of drugs. Mr. E. G. Theodore announced his intention of having the matter discussed when the House of Representa- j fives met.