OPIUM DEN RAIDED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 765, 11 September 1929, Page 1

OPIUM DEN RAIDED

Detectives Batter Down Doors

FIVE CHINESE IN COURT pR ANTIC efforts to burn their opium and smoking materials r were evidently made by a number of Chinese in a house in Greys Avenue last evening when they heard detectives battering down the barred doors below. Five men Y ere fH, al i. C «2 P I P n ea r t - iH ,hc lJolico Court this mornin " fines totalling 87 10s being imposed.

jew Lum, alias Jue Lum, a gardener, aged 39, was charged w ith permitting tis premises at No. 52 Greys Avenue to be used for the smoking of opium. Charges of having prepared opium in their possession were made against Ah Chan, a fruiterer, aged 41, Ah Jam, a laundryman. aged 31, Lowe Loong. a fruiterer, aged 34 and She Fong, a laundryman, aged 72. Mr. L. K. Munro appeared for the five accused and pleaded guilty for Jow Lum, but not guilty for the other Chinese. The arrests were made by Deteciives Nalder and McWhirter autl Acting-Detectives Packman and Kills. Detective Nalder said that, with his three companions, he had gone to the house in Greys Avenue about 7.45 last evening, finding both back and front doors barred. Witness bad been assisted through a fanlight and unbarred the back door, which had been wedged with lengths of timber. There were other doors inside that had to be forced before an entry could be effected to the upstair room, where the Chinese were eventually found burning their material in a kerosene tin. There was a haze in the room and all but Ah Chan had their boots off. He and the keeper, however, had smears of the prepared drug on their hands. Witness produced a large quantity of smoking-gear that had been seized. It included pipes and lamps and a number of packets of opium. The detective said that Lowe Loong denied smoking. Ah Chan had made an explanation that he was collecting money for charity, but the man had smears on his hands. “The raid was made as the result of a complaint by the Health Department,” added witness. Mr. Munro was of the opinion that the charge against She Fong should be dismissed. He was too old to smoke and had a perfectly legitimate reason for being on the premises as he lived there. Ah Chan was collecting money to send a Wellington Chinese home to China. He had a subscription book and an authority from Wellington to collect the money. Counsel said that he had not been told of the smears on the man’s hands. Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.: What about his boots being off? Mr. Munro said that Ah Jum's explanation was that he had gone to the house for supper and had not been there many minutes when he was caught. “I will put Lowe Loong in the box,” said counsel. “I am told that he never smokes.” Chief-Detective Hammond: It is a funny thing that he was the only financial member of the party. He had £23. Mr. Munro: All the more reason why he should not be such a fool as to smoke. In the witness box, Loong said that his name was really Ling. He never touched opium and had been in the house only a few minutes when the raid was made.

T» e Chief-Detective (to the interbteter): Ask him whether he knows

that the police were watching the house and that nobody had entered u tor three-quarters of an hour. The chief-detective said that the charge had been brought under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1927, but suggested that the charges of being unlawfully in possession of prepared opium made against four of the Chinese could be amended to being unlawfully found on the premises if the magistrate thought it advisable. | Jew Lum had been convicted in 1923 i and served three months’ imprison- | ment for a similar offence. Mr. Munro: That is six years ago. ! The Magistrate: Probably he has j been lucky since then. Mr. Munro: There is no Evidence to show that. The charge against . She Fong was dismissed. Jew Lum was fined £SO, in default three mouths’ imprisonment. Ah Chan, Ah Jum and Lowe Loong were each fined £l2 10s, in default one month’s imprisonment, on charges of being unlawfully on the premises. Counsel asked for time to pay, but the magistrate refused, remarking that it w-ould bo difficult to. find the men again once they had been released. OPIUM-SMUGGLER CAUGHT DRUG IN BUCKET WITH FALSE BOTTOM ARRESTED ON WHARF Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. Customs-officer Boland noticed a young Chinese landing from the Maheno with a bucket. The man was returning to Dunedin after a two years’ visit to China. It is usual for Chinese travelling by steamer to have a bucket for washing purposes, but Mr. Boland’s suspicions were aroused, and finding the weight more than it should have been, the bottom was prised out and a flat tin found full of opium valued at about £SO. The owner Was thereupon arrested. “TEMPTED AND FELL” CHINESE FINED £l5O Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. In the Police Court today Kong Quing. a Chinese who was arrested yesterday for attempting to import opium j into the Dominion, was fined £l5O, or ; nine months’ imprisonment. Counsel said defendant was a poor j man, who had fallen into temptation ; when it was suggested to him in China j that he should bring opium to New | Zealand.