CANADIAN DRUG TRAFFIC

Evening Star, Issue 18715, 18 August 1924, Page 6

CANADIAN DRUG TRAFFIC

SPANISH CONSUL CONVICTED,

SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT.

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

OTTAWA, August 15, Miguel Maluquer, the Spanish Consul, and Raynon de Torrents, another Spaniard, whom a Canadian mounted police officer, after a year’s pursuit in Europe, apprehended, wore charged at Montreal with importing narcotics into CanadaBoth wore found guilty, and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. The trial lasted over two months. The accused countered the charges by asserting that their arrest was illegal, because it was made by an invasion of traditionally inviolate premises—the Consulate. The court disallowed the claim, but exercised clemency by imposing a short term of imprisonment, whereas tho maximum sentence is seven years. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

[A message from Ottawa,, dated Juno 6, read as follows:—" A telegram from Montreal says that ‘in tho task of striking at the drag traffic in Canada tho mounted police played tho part of traffickers themselves. they went to Spain for tho purpose of bringing hack drags. They had them smuggled through the Customs at Montreal, and after years of work" completed a case, the upshot being tho appearance of Miguel Malunucr (Spanish Consul) and Raymond Torrents (another Spaniard)) before Judge Cusson. Poiiceseraeant Brown testified that lie was introduced to Torrents by Maluquer. He received letters of introduction to persons in Spain and others, who arranged for the bribery of tho Customs employees and the Consuls. Counsel entered a formal protest against the Consul’s arrest on the ground’ of diplomatic immunity, and tho Consuls also raised the question with them homo Governments. Brown, _ during his dealings with the Consul, claimed to be an American drag importer on a large scale.]