Heavy Fines Follow Raid on Opium Den

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 788, 8 October 1929, Page 1

Heavy Fines Follow Raid on Opium Den

CHINESE IN DOCK PENALTIES TOTAL £!25 Fines totalling £125 were Imposed on seven Chinese at the Police Court this morning, when police prosecutions followed a raid by detectives on a Grey Avenue opium den last Wednesday evening. The arrested men were Che Tong, aged 2S; Ah Soo, aged 24: Chin Bow, aged 32; Ah Wong, aged 35, all gar deners; and Ah Jack, aged 29: Ah Tong, aged 35, and Ah Chin, aged 29, laundrymen. Ah Chiu was charged with permitting the premises known as 54 Grey Avenue to be used for opium smoking. Mr. Leary appeared for accused and said that he would prefer to hear the evidence before pleading. Detective Nalder described the raid which he had carried, out in company with Detective McWhirter and Act-ign-Detectives Packman and Stevenson. The party had gone to the house in Grey Avenue about 8.15 p.m. and, finding the front door locked, kept the premises under observation. Half an hour passed and the door was opened, presumably to let someone out. The detectives had then, rushed the door, finding several Chinese on the ground floor. Witness, with Act-ing-Detective Stevenson, had forced ohree inside doors before gaining admittance to a room on an upper lloor, where they found accused with two others burning pipes and lamps in a kerosene tin. There was equipment for smoking in the room. Opium was also found and the air was heavy with the sickly smell of the drug. Acused had admitted, through Ah Tong, one of the other accused, that he was die keeper of the house and had oc2upied it for three months, before | which he had conducted a laundry business in Hamilton. Acting-De-ective Stevenson corroborated Detecive Nalder’s story, adding that the men in the upper room with accused were All Tong and Ah Wong. Ah Tong, asked by Chief-Detective Hammond whether he knew who was the occupier of the house, merely covered his mouth with his hand. “Take your hand away,” demanded the chiefdetective, and the witness did so, but further inquiries brought forth no reply. “Can’t you speak English?” asked the chief-detective finally, and Ah Tong shook his head, hiding a smile with his hand while even the magistrate laughed heartily. “I think there is enough evidence for a conviction,” said Mr. Leary, and Ah Chin was fined £SO, being given a month in which to find the money. FOUND ON PREMISES The other accused were charged with being unlawfully on the premises, the charge of being unlawfully in possession of prepared opium being reduced, as Detective Nalder said that Ah Jack was the only one who had any opium and he had been seen to drop a packet behind a sack. Mr. appeared for Ah Jack and Che Tong, entering pleas of not guilty. “I appear for the balance,” said Mr. Leary, and also pleaded not guilty. Evidence was called similar to that in the case against Ah Chin. Detective Nalder added that, when the police rushed the doors, Chin Bow had called out in Chinese and there had been a scampering about and a sound of broken glass from upstairs. There was no reason why the Chinese should know the party to be police when they first rushed the door. Most of the accused had explained that they were on the premises visiting friends. Mr. Leary was of the opinion that the prosecution must prove absence of lawful excuse. The men had all given explanations and there v. r as no reason why those caught downstairs should not be supposed to have been yarning together and taking no part in the smoking that was going on upstairs. The magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., was of the opinion that a prima facie case liad been established. Mr. Dyson said that Che Tong had been at the house to see Ah Chin, who, he understood, could find him work in a market garden at Pukekohe. “I shall make no invidious distinctions,” said the magistrate. “They were all found on the premises. The place was locked aud barred and there were utensils for smoking in the house. They are all convicted and fined the minimum amount, £l2 10s and costs, in default one month’s imprisonment.” Accused were given a month in which to find the money.