DIPLOMAT’S £6OOO DRUGS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1929, Page 8

DIPLOMAT’S £6OOO DRUGS

SEIZED BY CUSTOMS PARIS, July 9. Something like consternation reigns b0.,1 i at the French Foreign Offie and among the Diplomatic Corps in Paris at the disclosure of the fact that four wooden cases which arrived by train in Paris and were claimed by the Sirdar A 1 Ghulam Nabi Klian, recently Afghan Minister in Paris and now Minister in Moscow, contained £6,000 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 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. , CHANCE DISCOVERY. / A motor-lorry called at the Customs House, and the four cases were brought out. One of the cases fell over, and was slightly damaged. From, a hole in the cover there dropped a tin box. full of white powder, which was recognised as heroin. The importing or sale of this drug is forbidden internationally except by licence. The four cases were impounded and found to contain herein and cocaine worth £6,000. They apparently came from Germany. M. Priollet, a superintendent of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, has been ordered to inquire into the case, but he is hampered by.the fact that at every turn he runs up against diplomaticprivilege. . LEGATION EMPTY. The Afghan Legatioh is empty, but no search warrants can apply to Legation premises and ho- questions can be ’put to the diplomatic -representatives by the police. The Sirdar, it is stated, is a close personal friend of ex-King Amanullah. The king’s eldest son, Prince Hedavalullab, 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 aan earnest of the latter’s peaceful intentions towards Soviet Russia, that the Sirdar obtained his transfer from Paris to the Russian capital. The wholesale: price of heroin is about 30s. 6di an ounce. ,