UNCUSTOMED GOODS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 33, 7 August 1943, Page 8

UNCUSTOMED GOODS

£25 FINE AND FORFEITURE

For being found in possession of 800 feet of rolled gold chain valued at £50, on which Customs duty had not been paid, Richard George Carter, steward. Auckland, has been fined the minimum of £25 by Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M. On conviction for such an offence forfeiture of the goods becomes automatic, and-an order was made accordingly. The Collector of Customs said the defendant was a steward on an intercolonial ship which arrived, at New Plymouth early last month and paid off in Wellington. t The defendant was seen removing some effects, and was stopped by a Customs officer. An examination of his clothes disclosed a parcel of rolled gold chain. The defendant's excuse was that he had obtained the chain in , New Plymouth from" a man he met in a hotel bar. He .valued it at 2s 6d a yard, but it could not be sold at under 5s 6d without losing money, and the real price was 8s a yard. The maximum penalty was a fine of £100, arid the minimum £25. and on conviction forfeiture followed automatically. Mr. D. Perry, for the defendant, said it was useless to minimise the seriousness of. I'ie attempted fraud on the Customs, but in view of the automatic forfeiture he asked for the.minimum penalty. The defendant had been1 employed for approximately 15 years as a-steward, and had an unblemished record. i

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