SMUGGLING OF DRUGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 979, 23 May 1930, Page 6

SMUGGLING OF DRUGS

TRANSATLANTIC LINER SEARCHED EXTRAORDINARY SCENES Extraordinary scenes attended the arrival at New York recently o£ the French Transatlantic Company’s liner France, which came in escorted by two Customs harbour patrol boats. They had met her outside and put 100 special agents of the Treasury Department on board. At the pier was a crowd of relatives and friends of the passengers, but they were not allowed inside the barrier, though furnished with passes. Even guests of the company’s officials were excluded.

Warned by Wireless It seems the French Government had learned, or so they informed the line, that German narcotics valued at £600,000 had been smuggled across the frontier and were believed to be on the France, then on the way to New York. The company sent this intelligence to Washington by wireless. Every nook and cranny of the ship was searched, as alsp every item of the passengers’ luggage, but no narcotics of any description were found. It is now supposed that the master mind of the ring had circulated the false information in the hope that the authorities would concentrate their efforts ou the France while the drugs were smuggled aboard some other liner. The agents are now planning to search 21 of the big Transatlantic liners which are arriving in New York Harbour during the next few days. They are confident of unearthing the illicit cargo. Drug Agents’ Trick

The widespread ramifications of the ring first came to light during a grand jury investigation, at which Sir Duncan Orr Lewis, the well-known British yachtsman, testified. Sir Duncan stated that on his trip aboard the Majestic, which docked recently, he found an unfamiliar trunk bearing his name among his luggage. Thinking that some mistake must have been made, he left the trunk in care of Customs officers when he arrived in New York. The Customs officers testified that a few days later a man giving the name of Charles Wimmer called at the Government warehouse and claimed the trunk, saying that he was Sir Duncan’s agent. Wimmer was arrested and the trunk opened. Inside were found packages containing drugs worth £28,000. Sir Duncan said he never before heard of Wimmer. Customs agents believe that they have now discovered one of the principal methods by which drugs are smuggled into the United States.