COUNTERFEIT MONEY SEARCH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22242, 30 January 1947, Page 6

COUNTERFEIT MONEY SEARCH

NAZI INVASION OF BRITAIN CURRENCY

SYDNEY CUSTOMS BOARD CHINESE SHIP

SYDNEY, January 29

Customs officers who boarded the Chinese steamer Hwalien, formerly the New Zealand ferry steamer Maori, on her arrival at Sydney, are making the biggest search for contraband in the port’s history.' It is mainly for counterfeit English £5 and £lO notes thought to have been made in Germany for the invasion of Britain. Officers suspended the search last night and continued again this morning, but so far have found neither gold nor counterfeit money. The vessel brought 459 passengers from the Far East, including 309 refugees, mostly Jewish. About 200 passengers, some of whom arc going to Melbourne, remained on board last night. Some Sydney passengers stayed to _ guard their heavy luggage which the Customs officers will examine to-day. Notification that German invasion currency was circulating in Shanghai and that some of the Hwalien’s passengers were carrying gold bullion was given by official sources in the Far East.

The owners’ representative, Captain H. W. Bell, said that at least £IOO worth of counterfeit Bank of England notes had been detected when the passengers offered their passage money in Shanghai. Some of the passengers had brought gold bars aboard.

ship at Cairns, said that 170 refugees would leave for Melbourne by train today. Some others would go to Perth and Queensland. There were some complaints about the conditions and food, but most passengers said that they had been prepared for some hardships in order to reach Australia.

Government counterfeit experts and Commonwealth Investigation Department officers are helping the Customs men in the search.

"Some people aboard expect too much of this country.” said the ship's master. Captain Barling, “but. remember, they have been driven hard. When they got to Darwin they all wanted to kiss the very soil of the Australian mainland.”

The representative of the Australian Jewish Welfare Society, who joined the