FINDING SMUGGLERS OUT

Evening Star, Issue 19032, 29 August 1925, Page 10

FINDING SMUGGLERS OUT

STRATEGY FOR STRATEGY WORK OF SYDNEY'S CUSTOMS SEU [By “A.H.H.,” in the Sydney ‘Snn.’J There is a house in Sydney in Llio Chinese quarter where anybody standing on the front doorstep can lie observed from inside a loom in ilio third story—there is a series of peepholes miming through three floors and idle door. A man lying in bed in that room can take a good look at every ealler, and when it pleases him ho can puli a cord to unbar the door. This discovery was made by Customs officials searching the city for a prohibited ' Chinese immigrant. _ Needless to say, when they were admitted they fonmi no suspicious characters on the premises—not even a pipctul of smuggled opium. And there is nothing dlegal in boring peepholes through floors and doorways. Many houses in Campbell street which arc used by opium smokers have elaborate systems of electric bulls. in one entrance was obtained through the discovery of a knob in the which was attached to a cord that raised the latch. But the work of the Customs men begins on the waterfront, not in the city, and though smuggled opium and unwanted Chinese provide the chief scope for their activity, there arc dutiable articles other than opium which people try to bring into the country without paying, and other prohibited immigrants other than Chinese. Every ship that comes to port is hoarded by Customs officials, who make inquiries and inspect passports, and every item of luggage is checked and, if thought necessary, thoroughly overhauled before being allowed to leave the shed on the wharf. It is the steamers from the East that give the Customs men _ the, hardestwork. As each arrives it is hoarded by a special gang ol searchers clad in dungarees and armed with lanterns, various tools, and long iron probes. It is their duty _ lo comb the slops thoroughly for Oriental stowaways and for concealed opium.

Before searching for stowaways the practice is to muster all the Chinese passengers, check their passports, and keep them on deck. The crew arc identified individually and put ashore in one of the sheds on the wharf. This done, it can bo assumed that any Asiatic found below docks is a stowaway trying to enter the Commonwealth in contravention of the Immigration Act. Of recent years the number of stowaways attempting to get ashore at the principal ports has decreased, but desperate indeed have been some of tiie devices adopted. A couple of years ago twenty Chinese stowed away on a Dutch steamer hound for Australia. They hid in the hunkers, and when the ship reached the tropics their sufferings were intense. One man died, and the fortitude of his companions gave way. They came out, and the ship's officers saw to it that nono slipped ashore in Australia. It was in searching for stowaways that tiro biggest haul of opium on record in Australia—representing £IS,QUO —was made. This was a few months ago, when 1,537 tins were found in the chain locker of the Arafura. The chain was coiled tip in a conical heap, and just in ease a' man should bo hidden in the space inside the cone a searcher prodded his iron between the links. As luck would have it, the iron wont right through and struck a bag of opium. The would-be smuggler was discovered by stratagem. The crew was summoned and the order given to pay out the anchor chain, while the Customs men watched from a porthole in the deck cabin. Two Chinese displayed obvious agitation. The officers rushed out and grabbed them, and, taken by surprise, one of the men confessed his interest in the contraband. Many and ingenious arc the devices employed in the smuggling of opium. The Chinese are clever cabinetmakers, and ounningly-mndc hiding-places in panelling and woodwork are hard to find. In one case the chocks of a lifeboat were hollowed out and filled with opium. The drug lias been found in the water tanks of a ship's boats, those who put it there being regardless of what might happen in case of shipwreck to those who might find themselves in a boat with no water. Once a Chinese cook planted opium under some peeled potatoes in a bucket. Another man bid it in a tub of washing. • A favorite spot used to be the partition in the freezing chamber on board ship, the insulating .material being removed and opium put in its place. It takes a few days to searcli a vessel thoroughly, and there is a constant battle between the experience and wits of the searchers and the ingenuity of the smugglers in devising new caches. As many ns 200 tins of opium have been found by a searcher exploring the dirty water in the bilges. Even when opium escapes the vigilance of the Customs officials the smuggler is faced with the problem of getting it ashore. A common device is to put it in bladders or sausage-skins packed about the person, and trust to hick to got past the officials. A catapult has boon used to firo a leaden weight from a ship near the shore to the green at Miller’s Point, By this moans a lino was got ashore, along which the opium tins were conveyed . Once a policeman standing near a street drainpipe at the old NorddcuL-.sehor-Lloyd wharf, was si a riled to see a hand emerge from the pipe and wave a package to him. He grabbed the hand, but the owner pulled it free. It was found that opium smugglers had paddled a raft up to the rooks under the wharf, and apparently had been in i lie habit of passing up the packages to a confederate. Ordinary passengers, however, are not likely to take the risk of carrying opium. It is a prohibited import, and possession alone carries a heavy penalty. As regards other dutiable goods, the regulations allow considerable latitude in respect to “personal effects,” which may include now clothing and jewellery, so that there is not such a great temptation to try to evade payment. There is no doubt that the need for keeping expenses within reasonable limits makes it impossible to guard Australia’s huge coastline against smugglers of opium and cocaine. Captains of Eastern boats on arrival in Brisbane or Sydney will relate how at some point off the North Queensland coast a barrel or package attached to a float has been dropped overboard and picked up by a fast launch from the shore. Even if such an incident ocoprs close to one of the ports, the authorities are helpless, for they possess no launch capable of catching or intercepting a speed boat. While passengers may bring as “personal effects ” quantities of clothes or jewels, the Customs keep open a watchful eye for abuses. If a lady who is in the trade brings an unusually large number of dresses the authorities do their host to make sure that these shall not bo sold. On the other hand, a dozen new dresses in the trunks of a wealthy woman whose husband has no connection with trade would arouse no suspicion. A WILD-GOOSE CHASE. Ashore, the Customs men work largely on what the police call “ information received.” In one case a woman who had brought a quantity of dresses from France as “personal effects ” had a quarrel with the man who was to have put the goods on the market, and took an obvious means of revenging herself. Much of the information received in this way, and prompted by spite, is misleading, howCustoms officers regarding her luggage, ever. One lady, when questioned by

invited the fullest search on learning that the officials were acting on information, and added; “I’m sure I know who has written to you. .It will be a woman I discharged from my service, in London in certain circumstances. Her name is So-and-so, and even if she has used another name I. can recognise her writing on the envelope.” She was right. A search satisfied the officials that they had been sent on a wild-goose chase. Customs officials in Sydney during the past two years have not only mndo tho largest opium hauls on record, but have been responsible for running to earth many Chinese who have no right in,the country. Air L. L. Clifford, the senior boarding officer, and Detectiveinspector R. AY. Wilson are the men who follow up clues and organise raids, whether ilio objective is an illicit still that is defrauding the excise revenue, hidden opium, or a. Chinese, who has sneaked into the country under a false passport or as a stowaway. Many prohibited immigrants have been picked tip in Sydney’s Chinatown.