OPIUM RAID

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 148, 26 June 1933, Page 11

OPIUM RAID

COUET PEOCEEDBTtS

TWO CHINESE FINED

ihe aequel to the opium raid on premises at 21 Haining Street last Friday morning was heard at tho Magistrate's Court today, when two Chinese appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M. The keeper ' of the house, Joe Sing, was charged with permitting the premises to bo used for opium-smoking, with wilfully' obstructing Senior-Sergeant Scott in the ■ execution of his duty, and with being found unlawfully in possession1 of prepared opium. The other accused, Ah -Lum, was charged with being found unlawfully on premises used for tho pur : pose of smoking opium. Joo feing pleaded guilty and Ah Lum not guilty. Sub-Inspector Mai-tin said that\ the raid was carried out by Senior-Sergeant . Scfctt, Sergeant Black, and two constables at 12.30 a.m. on' Friday. After gaining access by means of a timber .jack they found the two accused in tho smoking-room. A large quantity of prepared opium, fifteen wooden pillows ;used by opium smokers, and a quantity of other opium-smoking paraphernalia 'was seized. Senior-Sergeant Scott said that the house was constructed of brick, and had only one entrance. Tho door was barricaded in the usual' way, and had to be forced. When they enterpd the scullery- they found that1 the door leading'into the- kitchen was.' also barricaded. The police received no answer to their demands for admission, and the door was, forced. The keeper told the witness that the doors- were barricaded to keep the police out. He.said that the- witness had come too soon, as his friends had not yet arrived. Several pots of opium were '.seized. The ppium, said, the , SeniorSergeant, was .valued at. 9s per ounce ■wholesale, and was sold to the opium smokers in portions costing about 2a'6d each. "For the past -two years to my knowledge," said the. senior-sergeant, "this place has been constantly used for smoking opium. I.asked Joe Sing where he got the opium, and I got the1 ansjver that I always get in these, cases: that he got it from a white man on a ship." , Mr. G. Joseph '(who appeared for both the accused), to witness: How long has Sing been-in these premises? —I don't know, bift I have • seen >im about quite a lot. .-Would it'be correct if ho says that he has only been there three weeks? — I don't know; they all-say" ".three weeks." . '. ■ r Was there a wireless set. in. the '■room?— Yes, it was oil to China. Mr. Joseph stated that he had been instructed that Sing had been in possession of the premises for' only three weeks. He was acting as an agent for another Chinaman. Mr. Page (to counsel): Does that mean he is a paid servant? —Yes, sir., Sub-Inspector Martin said tlie police looked upon the offence as a serious one, as it was a hard matter to stop .opium smoking. The evidence had shown the difficulties that confronted the police in making raids. As to the matter of Sing being in possession of the premises for three weeks, it was the usual practice of opium dens and pakapoo shops to change the agents round, every three to. four weeks. .. Ah Lum's defence was. that he had:gone. to the "house to listen in on; the wireless to a concert broadcast from Nanking. , ' , ..■The Magistrate held . that; the accused had not shown that he was lawfully on the promises, and 'entered a, conviction. cJae^Simg .was :-ii'mid .jfi.yOnf or':,permit/-: ing premises to be used for the purpose of smoking opium, and £10 for resisting the police. Tito charge .of being found-Unlawfully in possession of prepared opium-was witlidra.wn.: Default of payment was fixed at/three months' imprisonment. At Lum was fined £15, in default two months' imprisonment. The Magistrate refused an application for time to pay the fines, and .ordered .the confiscation' of-the opium; and other paraphernalia. "■ ■ ;