Ring-smuggling attempts fail

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 4

Ring-smuggling attempts fail

Two men returning to' Christchurch after the All 1 Black rugby tour of South Africa in September admitted attempting to smuggle diamond rings into New Zealand. One of them was Warwick iCharles Richard Spicer, the chief reporter of the “Christchurch Star,” who had been covering the three-month tour of South Africa by the All Blacks for his newspaper. An undeclared $525 ■diamond ring was found in his travel bag. The other man, Brian Frederick Quinn, a bank clerk, who had been travelling with tour supporters, was charged with smuggling in a $423 diamond and ruby ring, after it was found (Under sticking plaster on his foot when he went through customs.

11 Spicer was fined $75 and 'Quinn was fined $175. Counsel for the Crown '(Mr D. J. L. Saunders) said that when the ring was found in Spicer’s travel bag, Spicer had said that he had not declared the ring because he did not have enough funds to pay duty. As a result of his conviction, the ring would be forfeited to the Crown. Counsel for Spicer (Mr P. F. Tempero) said that his client had been subject to a lot of stresses in South i Africa. He had bought the (ring as a gift for his wife. “He had been away three months and was worn out and fed up when he returned,” Mr Tempero said.; Spicer had been subjected,' along with all the others in the group, to an extensive search when he left South i Africa. I

“He was too tired to care ! very much about procedures,’’ he said. Spicer had I filled in one form, declaring his goods, filling out one page and, foolishly, he could not be bothered to fill out another form. Had he declared the ring, which he bought for $l4O in South Africa, he would have only had to pay duty of about $4O, said Mr Tempero. Spicer made no attempt to conceal the ring. It was underneath a Springbok skin, which he knew would be looked at in an agricultural inspection as he went through Customs, he said. An application for suppression of Spicer’s name was refused. One of the grounds for suppression put! forward by Mr Tempero wasj that public knowledge of! Spicer’s conviction would!

e affect the credibility of his . reports about South Africa. . Mr Saunders said that J Quinn’s luggage had been i searched at the airport by ; Customs officers after a ij cheap, undeclared camera 11 was found in his pocket. The baggage search revealed a . receipt for a diamond and i ruby ring. ■ Customs officers found fithis ring taped to his foot, hidden by his sock, he said >i Counsel for Quinn (Mr D. > H. Stringer) said that his ;lclient had been a bank clerk I for 29 years. He had bought the ring as a present for his fiancee after a recent stormy diivorce, Mr Stringer said. His ■ attempt at smuggling was ■ far from professional, as the (tour was his first trip overiseas and the tell-tale receipt I was obvious to any Customs (office.