NARCOTIC DRUGS SEIZED

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 August 1929, Page 6

NARCOTIC DRUGS SEIZED

CONSIGNED TO DIPLOMAT. Something like consternation was caused both at the French. Foreign Office and among the Diplomatic Coips in Paris, early in July, at the disclosure of the fact that four wooden cases which had arrived by train in P a US and wero claimed by the Sirdai Al Ghulani Nabi Khan, recently Afghan Minister' in Paris, and now Minister in Moscow, contained £6OOO worth of heroin and cocaine. The four boxes arrived in the early part of June and were taken to the Customs Department. The dragoman, Natan Haim, attached to the Afghan Legation, claimed that they formed part of the “diplomatic valise” and should be admitted without examination. Later the Foreign Office received what purported to be a full list of the contents, which were mainly described as clothes and personal objects. The Foreign Office then ordered the Customs to hand over the cases at once.

A motor-lorry called at the Customs House, and- the four ■ cases were brought out. One of the cases fell over, and it was slightly damaged. From a hole in the cover there dropped a tin box full of white powder, which, was recognised as heroin. The importation or sale of this drug is forbidden internationally except by license. e The four cases were impounded and found to contain heroin and enna,ine

worth £6OOO. They apparently came from Germany.

M. Prioleth a superintendent of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, has been ordered to inquire into the case, wrote a correspondent of the London Daily; Mail, but he is hampered by the fact that at every turn he runs up against diplomatic privilege. Tho Afghan Legation is empty, but no search warrants can apply to Legation premises, and no questions can be put to the diplomatic representatives by the police. The Sirdar, it is stated, is a closel personal friend of ex-King Amanullah. Tho King’s eldest son, Prince Hedayalullah, was entrusted to him for his European education. It was when the young prince was taken to Moscow and left there by his father, apparently as an earnest of the latter’s peaceful intentions toward Soviet Rusisa, that the Sirdar obtained his transfer from Paris to the Russian capital.