BRIBES OFFERED

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 28, 2 August 1923, Page 7

BRIBES OFFERED

DETECTIVES IN OPIUM RAID.

The evidence hi connection with the opium raid in Haining street on Tuesday evening, as the result of which four Chinamen were charged at the Magistrate's _ Court yesterday with being in possession of opium suitable for smoking, was somewhat on unusual lines. The raid was carried out by Detectives Murray and Cooper. They approached the premises quietly* and were standing outside when a. Chinaman came aloiig, but said lie had no key to the premises. Ho then said something loudly in Chinese, and there was a. scuffle inside. Metaphorically speaking, seeing their evidence disappearing, the detectives decided to force- an entry, and one of them ■put his shoulder to a back door and burst it open. Tlio two went into a back rooni, and there discovered a hot opium pipe, opium, and all the other necessities for an opium smoker. A sheet was spread on. the. floor, and. thsre was ;l pillow on this. One of the detec tives thereupon commenced a search, and found a number of articles and a small supply of opium secreted in various parts of the house. While Detective Murray kept watch on the Chinamen, ha was approached by one. who ,said he had been christened, and did not want his name i n the books. He appeared v?% W tf n«l °* tlle Co"*- and offered £10 if the detectives would leave the matter Where it stood. The offer was declined, and it was then increased to &15, while later an offer of £20 was ™\ aJ, hile the first man 6aid he' would add <£10 to this.

In I the evidence it was stated that Ah long, who had pleaded guilty, never did any work, and was a well-known smoker If the police wanted to raid opium smokers, they had only to locate Fong and they, knew they were on the ri»ht

A suggestion was made that the Chinese passed the pipe round, but this was denied by Mr. C. B. O'Donnell, who represented the accused. He said it was asserted a ways that the Chinamen were as scrupulous about the cleanliness of their smoking as wa s an Englishman Ihe charges against Lee Bong, Ng Goow. and Low Chai were dismissed^ Ah long was sentenced to two months' imprisonment. luuuws