AN OPIUM CARRIER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 120, 17 November 1909, Page 9

AN OPIUM CARRIER.

WOMAN ARRKSTED IN MELBOURNE. FIFTY-FOUR TINS OF OPIUM CONCEALED. A duel of wits is now being engaged in by Detective Inspector Chri<-tio and his staff and the opium smugglers who are' endeavouring to replenish tho someu hat exhausted supplies of tho drug in Melbourne (reports the Age). Recently a cooper employed on the wharves was toiled in an attempt to bribe a Customs officer to allow a consignment of opium to bo removed from the King's warehouse, and three months ago a woman was detected coming ashoro from a China boat viith opium concealed in her clothing. On Saturday last the opsjaul of another 'CJiimi boat, thn steamer Kastern, caused the Customs stuff to be on tho look-out for more opium smuggling. Inspector Christie had roason to huspect a rather at-tractive-looking woman named May Silver, who was travelling in tho second saloon. She was known ro havo an acquaintance with certain Chirioso in Sydney, and was believed to have mado more than one trip to Australia from China ports. Her friendly behaviour towards one, or two members of tho Chineso crew on board the Eastern had also tended to arouse suspicion. When Custom 6 Examining Officer Davis boarded the Eastern on her arrival ho bought an interview with Miss Silver. She was well dressed, and ready to go ashore, but upon close inspection s>he appeared to be &übpiciou6ly bulky. Mr. Davis telephoned for Detective Inspector Chrisfie, and upon his arrival the woman was taken into the Customs room on the wharf. Inspector Christie at once accused her of having opium in her possession, and she frankly admitted that s>ho had. Sho was conveyed in a cab to Inspector Christie's office at the Custom Ilouse. Tho inspector leit/her there for live minutes, telling her she had better remove the opium from her clothing and placo it on his desk. On hi» return ho was faced \uth an - array of iifty-four tins of the drug lying upon his desk. Each tin conmined 7oz or 80/., and the value of the haul whs £270. Tho woman then stated, in leph lo question.--, that shj> had joined (he vessel in Sydney, and was bringing the drug to a Chineso in Melbourne. Sho added that sho had not been to Melbourne before, and did not -know the address of the Chmesc in question. She war, ,i nuthe of Queensland. Although she gave her age as thirty-eight, sho scarcely look-, more than twenty-eight. Inbpeetor Christie ur rented the woman on a charge of being concerned in the unlaw lul importation ut opium suitable for smoking, lie conveyed her to the v. atchhouse and entered tho charge against her. Accused having been charged, the chief female warucv cuiefully searched her. The hcnveh brought 10 light n mo-A ingeniously made perticonr of canvas mid dungaree, -.tiuldcd wilh pockets, which, indging by their appearance, had been u-ed on many (xrasions 10 conccnl goods. In these pockets the liftv-four tins Miad been neallv "lowed away with the Hat •iide outward-, si> -a-> to minimise their bulkmt'ns. Their weight would bo fairly heavy, buf with practice and the e\erciso of it rp;'=i!'):tble tmi'iuni of care the woman'-. t(>-<ii!in' unit general iippuurunti: would only eAeite i he al tendon of. the mo-l ob^cr\iilit who luul icason to be iiiiipiciou 1 ; of the wearer. Five pounds hi money wua found in tho woman's stocking