Claim About Drug Shipments Denied

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29859, 27 June 1962, Page 12

Claim About Drug Shipments Denied

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. June 2S. Suggestions that Auckland was being used as a clearing station for the transshipment of drugs to the United States were denied by the Collector of Customs, Auckland (Mr G H. Lindsey), in a telephone interview today. More than £lOOO worth of prepared opium was discovered yesterday at Auckland on a Chinese seaman who landed from the freighter Van Cloon, anchored in the stream. The ship first arrived at Auckland on June 4. and has since called at ■Napier, Wellington. Lyttelton. and Dunedin before returning to Auckland.

A quantity of opium was discovered at Napier, and at Wellington customs officers gave the vessel a thorough search, but netted only a few watches. "Had there been another vessel in the stream or had the Van Cloon been tied up near a vessel trading to the United States, I would have said that a transfer could have been contemplated." said Mr Lindsey, "but I think it was intended for local consumption.” A spokesman for Russell

and Somers, the Van Cloon's New Zealand agents, said the seizure of opium was just a .ucky break "The customs would have almost to tear the ship apart," he said. "It's not hard to hide a little package. and the Chinese know the ship inside out and have plenty of placet to use. "The policy of the company is to dismiss a seaman found guilty of a narcotics charge.” he said.