BARRICADED OPIUM DEN

Evening Star, Issue 22750, 10 September 1937, Page 14

BARRICADED OPIUM DEN

FIVE CHINESE FINED \ [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 9. Chopping their way through a heavily-barricaded window on the second story of a building in Grey’s Avenue on Wednesday night, detectives entered the premises and seized a quantity of prepared opium, opium seconds, and pipes. The detectives, who climbed a ladder placed on to the verandah in front of the building, had considerable difficulty in entering, as the window was barred inside with inch planking backed with three uprights and four cross-pieces of three-inch by two-inch, timber, reinforced by wire. A hole was cut, and one detective went in and opened the door for others. The doors were all reinforced on the inside. As a result of the raid six Chinese appeared in the Police Court before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Five of them— Gin On, a laundryman, Wong Mow, aged 38, Ah Lee, a gardener, aged 25, Ah Sai, a gardener, aged 45, and Shim /Lind —pleaded guilty to charges of being found on the premises for the purpose of smoking opium. The premises are well known, and have figured in the court before, said the Magistrate. The place was barricaded, and they knew the risk they were running. Gin On and Wong Mow, who had been before the court previously, were each fined £2O and costs. Ah Lee, Ah Sai, and Shim Lind were each fined £l2 10s and costs.

Stanley Shin Horne, a laundryman, aged 47, was charged with permitting the premises to be used for the smoking of opium, and with being found in possession of prepared* opium. He was remanded, bail being fixed at £IOO.