SUSPECTED SMUGGLING.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 71, 31 March 1870, Page 3

SUSPECTED SMUGGLING.

Last night Detective Hitches, while pursuing inquiries with the view of discovering the perpetrators of a recent robbery, discovered that a quantity of tobacco had been lately offered for sale in town. A short time after, he apprehended a man named Phillip John Murtagh on suspicion of the offence, and found in his "possession 791bs. of tobacco 112 packs of playing cards, which goods are supposed not to have contributed to the colonial revenue. It will be seen by our report of the proceedings in the Police Court this morning, that Murtagh was brought up and remanded till Saturday. He states, we believe, that he procured the tobacco and cards from a steamer trading between Auckland and an Australian port. Detective Hitches went to Auckland this morning to make inquiries. We have no doubt that a great deal of smuggling has been and is perpetrated at the Thames, and we have little hope of seeing it quite put an end to till some change has been made in the tariff. The amount of duty lost to the revenue on the arricles taken from Murtagh, and which he could carry on his back, would amount, we believe, to about £10.— Evening Mail, March 30.