Big Opium Haul In Sydney; Chinese Fined

Press, Volume C, Issue 29415, 18 January 1961, Page 13

Big Opium Haul In Sydney; Chinese Fined

SYDNEY, January 17. After the biggest opium haul in Australia, four Chinese seamen today were fined a total of £l2OO in Sydney’s Central Police Court for having the drug in their possession. .

Sergeant C. R Abbott told the Court that opium worth about £2OOO was seized from the men after an all-night vigil by drug squad and pillage squad detectives last night. He said it was the biggest seizure of opium in the history of the Australian police force. The seamen are Wong Shiu Chong, aged 40, Chan Chee, aged 29. Lee Bor. aged 36. and Kwok Fook. aged 29. all from Hong Kong. Wong and Chan each were fined the maximum penalty of £4OO. and Lee and Kwok were fined £2OO each. Sergeant Abbott told the Court that earlier this month police received information that opium worth about £3OOO was available to any buyer, and as a result of this information crew members of the freighter Straat Johore, now in dry dock in Sydney Harbour. were kept under observation

Detectives last night followed Wong and Chan from Circular Quay to a wharf at nearbv Balmain and later to their. Ship. Later, all four men returned to the Balmain

wharf and then were challenged by detectives who found 201 b of opium concealed in their clothing.

Abbott said the men were bringing the opium ashore for sale at £BO per lb. No more opium was found when the ship was later searched. Wong made a written statement saying he had bought the opium for £3OO in Karachi several months ago. He had hidden it in an air vent in his cabin.

Sergeant Abbott said Wong and Chan were the principals in the transaction and the other two seamen acted only as carriers to help bring the drug ashore. He said the New South Wales Government analyst today examined a sample of the opium and found it was a prepared substance of very high grade and ready for smoking. The police prosecutor. Serseant R Turner, said inquiries showed opium had been made available to the white population of Sydney and that, recently. a man was sentenced to gaol for selling it to a policewoman.