WILES OF THE DRUG SMUGGLER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 2, 2 July 1938, Page 31

WILES OF THE DRUG SMUGGLER

Egypt has ever been a happy hunting ground for the smuggler; and since the earliest days of the British occupation, when control was first introduced, there has been a never-ending fight between the purveyors of "hashish" and white drugs and the preventive service, says a writer in the "Observer."

The former resort to all manner of expedients to evade the vigilance of the coastguards and desert patrols. That they succeed, which is not surprising when one considers the length of frontier, both sea and desert, which Egypt possesses, is clear, for indulgence in both forms of narcotic continues, though on a smaller scale than formerly.

Prom time to time the veil is lifted, and one gets some conception of the ingenious expedients to, which the smuggling fraternity resort in order to satisfy the craving of narcotics and, incidentally, since drugs are worth in Egypt several times their f.o.b. European port prices, to line their own pockets.

Consignments of innocent-looking potatoes have after a few minutes on the quay in the blazing sun been reduced to a mass of melted wax through which has protruded the much-wanted drug. It has also been found in side:

of iron safes, the hollowness of which has been revealed by careless handling.

On one occasion keen observation on the part of some coastguardsmen detected something unusual about the coats of a string of camels, which were crossing the frontier. Close examination showed that the hair had been neatly cut so as to conceal packets of drug.

On another occasion some young women who, as always happens on the arrival of steamers from abroad, had gone on board a ship to greet friends, were stopped at the foot of the gangway on coming off by a preventive man, who thought there was something curious about their calves.

Taken to the search office these "calves" were found to have been padded out by specially prepared packets of drug to fit the curves of the legs, which they had received from their "friends" .on board and had placed under their silken hose. .

The latest device has been to conceal packets of "hashish" within rolls of newsprint received from the Piraeus. It was, as usual, only detected by chance, and the authorities are now looking for the culprits, for the persons to whom such consignments are addressed are rarely those who know anything about the criminal side of the transaction.