CONTRABAND TOBACCO
(United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright). Received 2.30 p.m. to-day. LONDON, April 21. As the French duties on tobacco are much higher than the Belgian, smuggling into France on a small scale is a normal daily occurrence, telegraphs the Lille correspondent. He describes a desperate midnight encounter between smugglers and customs officers at Wattrelos. Two customs officers were suddenly surround- < ed by a dozen men waving revolvers. The customs men fired over. their assailants’ heads. In the middle" of the struggle three tobacco laden motor lorries drove up. Two wont back into Belgian territory and the third dashed - through, towards Lille. The customs men then pursued it by motor. When the smugglers were overtaken in the middle of Lille they throw petrol over the .tobacco and set it afire. They also flung • lighted bales under their pursuers’ car and then jumped , off and escaped. .
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Bibliographic details
Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 April 1935, Page 8
Word Count
146CONTRABAND TOBACCO Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 April 1935, Page 8
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