TONS OF OPIUM.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 92, 29 January 1934, Page 8

TONS OF OPIUM.

“DOPE” FOR HOLLYWOOD. SEIZED BY “DRUG SQUAD.” LONDON, November 18. iSeventen cases of opium, worth £125,000, were captured in Marseilles yesterday by the French “Drug Squad,” and one of the world's “dope kings” was arrested, a Paris correspondent telephoned last night. This news amply hears out the disclosures of world-wide dope smuggling activities sent by our Geneva correspondent. Revelations as to the seizure of opium, morphine and heroin landed at Los Angeles and San Francisco—obviously intended for consumption in the film colony at Hollywood—were made public yesterday afternoon in a report of the Traffic Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

It was disclosed that in the course of the past few months one ton of drugs had been confiscated in various parts of the world by signatories of the new 'League convention. Further traffic in drugs from the Far Fast into Canada and the United States is evidenced by the fact that more than 701 b of prepared opium was found in the liner Empress of Canada, trading between Hong-Ivong, Manila, Honolulu and Vancouver.

Other examples of the way drugs are smuggled across frontiers are quoted. For example, an allegedly respectable bookseller in Vienna was discovered to have heroin tucked inside the covers of a novel. Hashish was found in the heels of cork slippers worn by Italian sailors

The police capture at Marseilles was the result of investigations lasting since 1929.

Ten days previously a taxi-cab driver rented an. expensive villa at a deserted spot on the outskirts of the seaport. A motor-car drove Jo the villa and three men started carrying wooden cases into the house. Detectives broke in and found the .smugglers in the cellar stowing away cases. Inside them were sacks containing 5060 pounds of the finest opium—the largest consignment ever seized in any country.