£75 FINE IMPOSED

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 152, 29 June 1945, Page 6

£75 FINE IMPOSED

POSSESSED U.S. CIGARETTES

HAMILTON, Thursday.

A fine of £75 was imposed upon Alfred Bruce Roberts, aged 27, farmer (Mr. King), when he pleaded guilty to being found in possession of 6500 uncustomed American cigarettes before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., in Hamilton - to-day.

The Crown Solicitor, Mr. Gillies, said that a customs officer, in company with two detectives, called at defendant's home and found a package which had originally contained 10,000 cigarettes. The defendant said he had purchased the cigarettes from a man whose name he refused to reveal for £47 10/. He had given some cigarettes to friends who had visited his home for a social evening. The customs duty on the cigarettes would have been £15 10/6. Mr. King said defendant did not sell any of the cigarettes and did not smoke himself. He purchased them for a friend.

"It is obvious that these cigarettes had been obtained dishonestly and defendant was not entitled to them," said Mr. Paterson, who added that they must have been obtained on the "black market." This market, continued Mr. Paterson, was conducted by thieves and people who supported it were encouraging thefts.