ARMS FOR CHINESE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 22 August 1925, Page 7

ARMS FOR CHINESE.

A GUN-RUNNING CONSPIRACY AT WORK IN ENGLAND.

The armed attacks on Britishers in China has led to the discovery of an amazing smugglers’ .syndicate operating in. England, Holland, and Gor'matiy, which has been making substantial profits out oi applying weapons to the rioters, say.s the Sunday Cb.t on.iele. Eor some rime past, the authorities ip ore have been, aware that revolvers, ►rifles, and inn,munition have been mysteriously smuggled from this country to Hamburg. No gun-running on a ■large .scale lias been attempted that would he. next to impossible in view of the strict wa.tcli which is kept at the port's- —but the traffic has been steady land continuous. Perhaps in .some instances the smugglers’ “coup” has bnly totalled a, few dozen revolvers, in •others, perhaps, a lew, thousand rounds of ball cartridge, but their activities have been spread over a long period, .and the number of weapons which have •found their way into China through their agency must be tremendous. A recent coup by the authorities in Hongkong, should pave the way for.developments here. Police, acting on 'special information, seized n consignment of German arms, a rigorous inquiry followed, and then it was that (the syndicate’s activities were unearthed. Five men in all were arrested, including a clerk in the official receiver’s office. Two of these absconded, forfeiting heavy bail, while the other three were banished, there being technical objections to using the evidence against them. The importance of the discovery, however, lies in the seizure of a number of documents which may materially belp towards the ultimate weeding out of the syndicate’s numerous offshoots. Chief among these papers are several which tend to throw light on the identity of the sinister Moiiarty of the organisation—the mysterious Oriental who is its directing brain and evil genius. Alysterious Figui ©head. Chinese .are smuggled here to .slavery ■by a gang of “yellow birders,” headed by a cultured Uhintannan who was formerly an associate of Brilliant Chang’s and one of the biggest “dope” agents in London. The men were brought ‘in in packing cases and boxes and kept in a bondage of terror by their masters. who paid them next to nothing for their labour. -

Information points to this Chi mill nan and the mysterious individual who '■is directing the traffic in arms being one and tlio same man. The Chinese domiciled in this country know him '.well by repute and fear his power. At one time he was a marked figure in a dozen night clubs in London, the escort of smart women, faultlessly ’dressed and never, seemingly, at a loss for money. Where he came from, what Ills attendants were, no one ‘knew; he was never comaniinieative. He was just drifted into the swim, and being there, was accepted. Months passed, and then came suddenly the dramatic disclosure of the man’s real trade. The police arrested him for “dope ’ trafficking, and >so serious was the evidence against him and to conclusive was the proof that he 'was one of London's major dope kings 'that the police applied for, and, were granted, an order fur lii.s deportation. For some months, after the law had ‘taken its course nothing more was heard of him, although it was believed 'that lie wars in Hamburg engaged in 'smuggling enterprises with a .syndicate 'of which he was the chief. Then, 'when his ill-fame in this country had been almost forgotten, detective offi'cers searching vessels at Southampton ’detained an individual whose papers •were palpably forgeries, and who could give no (satisfactory account oi' himself. Reference to the dossiers at Sootland. Yard anil a comparison of finger prints -showed that the mystery man was none other than the elusive Dope King. Again he was summarily liepouted, and the police heard no more of him until a few months ago when •aliens officers making their customary 'inquiries discovered in various parts 'of the country, particularly in South 'Wales, a. number of Chinamen, who, apparently, had got into the country by a back door opened for them by him. Human Traffic. None Inacl registered for the simple reason that they had no papers or credentials of any kind. All they could tell the authorities was that it was well known to Chinese tvho wanted to reach this country, and had no means of doing -so legitimately, that there existed in Hamburg a 'Syndicate which 'was willing to “arrange in,at tens” for a lump sum of mon'ey. Acting on this information the authorities, with the assistance of the Hamburg police, were successful m breaking up the head quarters of the gang, and the smuggling dwindled to a mere trickle, then stopped altogether. The Dope King, however, escaped them, and until they became 'aware of this new trafficking in arms 'it wa»s thought that he had transferred ihiiiS activities to liisi own country. Profitable Smuggling.

Now they are again faced with his menace, for there is little doubt, that ;his is the brain which is engineering ithe present syndicate. Far more profitable than anything he has hitherto 'undertaken, the venture is piling up a fortune.

How the .smuggling is being worked lis simplicity itself. Already lii.s agents (were in existence in various parts qt the country, for they are the same lie thus , employed an his previous en.tertprilces. In Cardiff, Liverpool, London, •he is in league with men lie can trust ito .do lii.s work, whom he pays handt.somely for their services. Arms are .bought by them, taken to pieces, ‘packed, and! entrusted to travelling ‘agents whose business it is to deliver ‘them safely in. Hamburg. .Second-hand arms are not diincult t-> foreign seamen carry revolver**. The .‘obtain, in seaport towns, where most 'price paid may vary from a. few shillings to three or four pounds, but 'when they reach China, the weapons 'sell for their weight in, gold. It is in Germany, however, that the bulk of the 'trafficking is being done. 'Last year, reports the Hongkong Government, thousands of Ala use ns were imported into the colony from Berlin. The price paid for such, weapons, each 'with 100 pounds of ammunition, was front £2 10s to £3 15s. Much of the ammunition, was noticed to be of very recent German manufacture.