FINED £150

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 11

FINED £150

OPIUM DEN RAIDED

SUNDAY NIGHT VISIT

A visit. Avliich -dctoctivcs-paiclto-a'hduse at No. 1, Haiiiing'street, last'riiglit, resulted in the occupier, a Chinese• named All Wong, being fined1 a'total tif.",£lso:'in'-the Magistrate's Court; to-day.' '-. Through" his counsel, Mr. J. Meltze'r, Ah Wong pleaded guilty to using the premises _for the ptuV pose- of smoking opium/ arid" to being'in possession "of prepared opium.- ~"'■■" " ■ Sub-Inspector .Ward.said that-when the detectives. yisitsd tire; house .at 8.30 last evening it. was.locked, -but.-.by .a; ruse- they.. had : the. door opened. The accused.and two other Chinese were found in the-kit-, chen. While the. detectives'were: search-, ing the accused the other two bolted."; Two: tobacco tinsj containing thirteen small packets-of opium, were found, and in another room was a quantity'of'yen see, or opium "seconds," the material -left after the opium- has been.snioked. "There' were also a lamp and an- opium pipe, and opium smoke was still in the r00m...-The windows and doors were well barricaded inside. The fact that.the accused had all the packets of opium in his possession; was»".an indication that he was an opium dealer.: '; ' , For the ■ accused Mr. Meltzer said the police got iii merely for the asking. Therecould b,e no. suggestion'that the place was being used as a .barricaded fort. against the entry ; ,of the detectives: Although the. place might have had" the reputation "of being an opium den; the police would admit that the accused had..been the occupier of the premises 'for only: a'short time.: He had only recently returned from China, and, unfortunately, being an opium addict,he ha*d not yet been able, to'get it out of: his system. The offence he" had' committed was only one against himself. ■ - Mr. W..H. Woodward, S.M.:,- "There is the selling of it." : '',''■ ,:' r-A-Mr. 'Meltzer; "He is'-not. charged; with selling it, nor do I think, it is possible for evidence to be obtained'that he has "sold opium." Counsel went on to" say that the proceedings would' act, as a.; strong-deter-rent to the accused, and would be a guarantee against any, future offences. He asked the Court/to regard' the accused as a first offender, 'and- in .view- of: the-fact that: there were no 'vicious circumstances at-, tending the. case, to. make /the . penalty as lenient as/was permitted sunder the.-Act. Sub-Inspectpr /Ward: • "It is. clear that, the accused has the premises there- -for other Chinese to.sirioke.:in, and itlooks.as. though he was'supplying the«opium^ . , Mr Woodward '. said.- that the -.Act- tfrqvided for a. penalty of-.'-£2OO -or .- three months' imprisonment,- or- both, for -the offerice of using the premises.for the,purpose of smoking opium, and the accused would be fined £100, in default three months' imprisonment, on this charge. The maximum- penalty-"• on the second, charge was £100, and for this offence the.accused was fined £ SO, •;■ in/ default:. two ". months'; imprisonment; .. :'■■■■': ~ ,'■;'■■ y; ■ .'. ■.'•. • :