DRUG TRAFFIC

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 6, 8 January 1925, Page 3

DRUG TRAFFIC

STREET:§ELLERS IN SYDNEY

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ; SYDNEY, 31st December. A remarkable statement regarding the alleged prevalence of. cocaine smuggling and' vending in Sydney is made by a police officer.who has just retired after long service in the New South' Wales Police. Force. "Despite the precautions "taken ■ by Customs and Excise •.■officers," he says, "many pounds of- cocaine are-landed duty free in Australia every year, and although the police authorities have laid themselves- out to trap -the smugglers they'■■have""found it almost an impossibility because if the fact that most of the trade is carried on by apparently respectable women. "These women," he added, "travel to ' India, Egypt,, and ■ Java,, collecting the ;'snow,' and. :then.' by: some^-unaccount-able means -Tand the stuff in Australia, while _ Customs "- officere -' ar-e'-^diligently searching elsewhere for the, contraband. "It! was my 4uty quite, Tecently to look out for a certain woman. Everybody, : in the Force ;knew she was art agent for-ia~cocaine:.-seller,.^nd-that ahe carried the dope on her person. I arrested her for rasrran'cy one: night When she -was searched., a beautiful little gold case, upon V which"; a certain: coat df arms_ was- embossed."-'was'-'-' -found.'!:' On opening the case several. small packages neatly wrapped'up in/brown paper were discovered., .These contained;''snow,' and were sold to customers', in-the' public street for 10s each. Each packet would ' .scarcely-contain a decent— sniffi -vbut, nevertheless," hopeless drug.-••- addicts :eagerly purchased' it'because even the smallest quantity satisfied their craving for a while;---" ■■■-■' - .. '.'■: ".. •'■ "But to get. back, to the woman. The police couldn't detain..her jis_ g. yagiant. She said she was:a^married - woman, and had a banking account. This was proved, and we let her go. Women can carry many pounds of 'snow'- on their | person, and the ordinary male, policeman has no chance whatever-of;..finding it. With a man it is different. If we sus-" pected a. male we could detain him on suspicion 1 and . mate no about searching him. But even a pplicema,n is a man; and he has certain-moral qoalms about closely searching women. >. "The . cocaine hawked. in the streets, by the way, ig not taken into slum areas. It is disposed of in aristocratic centres. That's why 10s for a- sniff, js not'considered top", high:. : Besi.de;s:-the;.*w;ome'tt sellers-there is a certain-.'tyjpe-of mals impostor.^who 'knows, where -the' drug fiends, are to. be .found. "PrcJbably thia works in conjuhctiori;Trith a woman-,- but -instead of ■ cairying. cocaine he carries small packages "of camphorated . chalk, and.when; things are-bad with the half stupid drug fiend he passes him a sniff of the chalk" for. 10s. This chall^, by'-the . way;,. can ; be purchased frptn any chemist, for 6d .an ounce. J.i is commonly used for toilet.' purposes, and the police hare nothing on" anyone carrying.it."',',.,;■.'.. ■;/<■•.--■>•■.:.• '■"'>■ •