Big smuggled-goods find

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33399, 4 December 1973, Page 3

Big smuggled-goods find

(IS.Z. Press Associatiori) AUCKLAND, December 3. Auckland Customs officers believe that Manukau Harbour is the scene of large-scale and well-organised smuggling. Two big water-tight drums tightly packed with transistor radios w'ere found on Grahams Beach, near the en- ■ trance to Manukau Harbour last Friday. The Auckland Customs! chief investigating officer (Mr

[D. C. Khouri) said today that lit was the biggest find of lits type in New Zealand. The drums, of blue plastic, contained about 100 brandnew Japanese transistor radios, W’orth nearly $6OOO. There were three types of iradio—ll, eight, and sixtransistor models of the latest design, with carrying leases, batteries, and earphones. The containers were lashed in a seaman-like fashion, and had rope handles for ease of handling. “It looks like a smuggling 1 ; attempt that has gone adrift,” ■ said Mr Khouri. It was believed that the

drums were dropped into the harbour from a ship trading between Auckland and Nor-

folk Island or the Pacific Islands, he said. Thev had been adrift only , for a few hours before they 'were found. ■ The first was discovered by 'a resident of Grahams Beach adrift in the tide in the Waiuku Channel. The second iwas found half a mile away by two Waiuku men. Customs men searched the area on Saturday morning but found nothing. But Mr Khouri says other ■ drums might be found. He said that it was an offence to possess “uncustomed i goods,” but anyone who reported such finds might get a reward. During the last year there had been a considerable increase in the number of ships using the harbour, said Mr Khouri.