OPIUM DEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 262, 5 November 1935, Page 9

OPIUM DEN.

DETECTIVES' RAID. POLICE INFORMER IN BOX. EIGHT CHINESE PINED £270. As the outcome of information given to the police by an aggrieved Chinese nine of his countrymen were arrested, as the result of a raid made on a house in Nelson Street on the afternoon of October 21. They were fined a total of £270 by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday afternoon.'

Nine Men Charged. Ah Lee, aged 32, gardener, was charged with that, being the occupier of the premises, ho permitted them to be used for opium smoking, while Chan Fun aged 48, another gardener, was charged with being found in possession of prepared opium. Seven other Chinese, Wong Sun (30), Wong Wah (40), Chang Wang (31), Ah Wong (50), All Hing (37), Ah Shun (30) and lvwok Hing (41), were each charged with being found without lawful excuse on premises which were being used for opium smoking. Senior Detective Hall prosecuted, and Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for All Lee and all the others, with the exception of Chan Fun and Ah Hing, who were represented by Mr. J. F. W. Dickson. Ah Lee and Chan Fun pleaded guilty. The others pleaded not guilty.

Informer's Story. The case concluded after the main edition of the "Star" went to press yesterday. Wong Siring, market gardener, was called by Mr. Sullivan for the defence. This Chinese stated that he lad been in partnership with Ah Wong in a market garden. He did not consider that he had been fairly treated by members of the Kwong Chew Club, which had been arranging a settlement of the partnership dispute, when it was arranged that he should call at the house in Nelson Street on October 21 and pay £40 of the £80 which he was called upon to pay to the other partner. Witness said he preferred to have the deal concluded at the Nelson Street house. On the morning of October 21 he saw Detective-Sergeant Mcllugh and said opium smoking was taking place at the house in Nelson Street. He asked the detective-sergeant to raid the premises. He did this because he was annoyed and did not consider that he had a fair deal.

Mr. Sullivan: Why did you do this?— Because I did not think I had a fair deal. Senior-Detective Hall: What did you tell Detective-Sergeant McHugh?—l told him that someone was trafficking in opium and taking it there. You did not say that opium smoking was going on in the house did you?— No. This concluded the hearing of evidence. Mr. Dickson submitted on behalf of Ah Hing that the latter had a lawful excuse for being on the premises, having gone to collect money which was owing to him by another Chinese. He did in fact collect £1 10/, which was found on a mat by the raiding police. Mr. Dickson suggested that in view of the serious illness of Chan Fun he should be given an opportunity of returning to China to save him from prematurely ending Ms life in prison. Counsel asked that sentence should be held over to enable friends to see what could be done in this regard. In remanding Chan Pun until Thursday morning for sentence the magistrate said this would give counsel an opportunity of calling medical evidence. Mr. Wilson said he was not satisfied or convinced with the explanations given by the seven men found on the premises. All would be convicted. Ah Lee was' fined £100, or three months' imprisonment. Of the others, Wong Sun, Ah Shun and Kwok Hing, who had been once previously convicted, were each fined £30 and costs, while the remaining four men, who were first offenders, were each fined £20 and costs.