SMUGGLERS’ DODGES

Evening Star, Issue 19020, 15 August 1925, Page 17

SMUGGLERS’ DODGES

SOME INGENIOUS .BUSES. It is rumored that recently there has been a revival in smuggling. However, owing to the vigilance and the intelligence of the modern Customs officcr, it is not quite so easy to ‘‘run ” largo cargoes of contraband as it was in the good old days. All sorts of clever dodges have boon tried by smugglers in order to outwit the Customs {states ‘ John o’ London’s ''Veakly ’). Not long ago, for instance, Customs officers at Nowcastle-qn-Tyno searched a suspected German ship twice without discovering anything of a dutiable .nature. Finally the coal hunkers were probed, and on the starboard sido of the main bunker fdty tins, each of which'contained 2Jgal pf spirits, wero discovered under 3ft of coal. SOME “ FINDS.’'

On one occasion Customs officers, when rummaging a ship, noticed that the top of a table in the captain’s cabin was unusually thick. They subjected it to a close inspection, with the result that they discovered a secret cavity containing 51b of tobacco and six bottles of gin. In another case spirits wero discovered in a mattress. Perfumes, spirits, and tobacco wrapped in oilskin have boon detected in _ water tanks. A favorite hiding-place is the water ballast tanks. Some years ago an officer found 42gal of proof spirit concealed in these tanks in the foropoak of a, ship lying in the Surrey Commercial Docks. Spirits and tobacco have also been discovered in barrels of pickled herrings 1 Saccharin is frequently smuggled. About a year ago a Hull commercial traveller was lined £947 for harboring 1231 bof uncustomed saccharin. Two London merchants wero recently lined £4,500 for smuggling 701 b of saccharin. The officers discovered the saccharin inside two large rolls of paper. When Sir A. W. Cope, late Under-Secretary for Ireland, was head of the Revenue Investigation Staff, ho was very successful in bringing saccharin smugglers to justice. DUMMY LOOKS. Professional smugglers adopt very ingenious ruses in order to get contraband through the Customs. There are false compartments in trunks and cases. These camouflaged hiding-places arc difficult to detect in the hurry and bustle incidental to Customs examination counters. Travelling rugs which are apparently carried very carelessly by a passenger often have largo pockets which contain cigars and flat flasks of perfume or spirits. Dummy books have also been used to smuggle cigars, “dope,” and saccharin. Some smugglers carry spirits in that useful article, the rubber hot-water bottle. When properly strapped to the body it is almost impossible to detect. On one occasion a man who was searched by the Customs officials was found to bo wearing curved tins which contained a gallon of spirits.