SEARCH FOR OPIUM.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 35, 10 February 1923, Page 13

SEARCH FOR OPIUM.

. 'With opium as the -bject of the .est,'a never-ceasing game of 'hide and «ek is played all over the Commonwealth! by Chinese on the one side ana Customs officers on the other, says the '"Uge." The secretive schemes of the Wily Celestials would kindle flames of •nvy in the mind of a professional conjurer, for their resourcefulness is inex--austible. The prohibition of the drug tannot' possibly be made completely dTective. According to DetectiveInspector Gleeson, almost every vessel trading with the East, and carrying a Chinese crew, has some of the banned article in concealment somewhere. Raids are frequently instituted by tlie official-, who make discoveries in the most -mysterious quarters. Frequent Wnvictions, involving terms of imprison"""•ti ■ have been -btained, ibut as the pins of the smugglers are large, opium jsers ftill find a way of indulging in the «"_ '■■■It is said that there is no shortage of supplies in Melbourne at present, *nd although tlie Chinese population is wminjghing in the State, a good deal of •P'nin is smoked. For it is unfortunJtoy true that others than Chinese wve-ecome enslaved to the drug. A ™ containing So/, is worth £10 in the •v- .During the war the price ad■Wfod to albout £35 for half a pound. That W as due to the fact that the destination of vessels was uncertain, and were-was also tlie risk that tfhev would « torpedoed. It is well known that 'oormous quantities of opium were lost ™ two boats that were sunk, and from ™t moment the dealers in Hongkong Pmly restricted their activities.