PLOT UNMASKED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 July 1942, Page 3

PLOT UNMASKED

ARRESTS IN PANAMA CANAL ZONE GANG SERVICING U-BOATS. GALLANT WORK BY AIRMAN OBSERVER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) PANAMA CANAL ZONE, July 2. Lieutenant - General Andrews, commander of the Caribbean area, announced the arrest of 20 persons, alleged members of a spy ring, who fuelled Axis submarines and disclosed shipping information to the enemy. The arrested persons include prominent business men, labourers, night club hostesses, shipping employees, and trusted canal zone workers.

A United States patrol plane discovered the first definite evidence of' the location of the ring’s operations when it spotted a fast ship in the Caribbean carrying oil-drums. The ownership of the vessel was traced, and an Army observer trailed the gang down. Attempts were made to poison him and sabotage his plane. He survived, and with the co-operation of the Army and Navy, the Canal Zone and British authorities, rounded up all the members. A prominent member of the alleged spy ring is a British Honduras business man known’as the “King of Belize.” He is the owner of, a plantation and ships. In fact, it was his fast ship, named La Planta, that the patrol plane spotted. The crew and 120 passengers have been detained. Information and documents found on one passenger fit-, ted into the general picture of the submarine servicing.