Raid on Chinese Opium Den

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 215, 10 September 1937, Page 5

Raid on Chinese Opium Den

BARRICADED WINDOWS AND DOORS Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night Chopping their wjfy through a heavily barricaded window on the second storey of a building in Grey’s avenue on Wednesday night, detectives entered the premises and seized a quantity of prepared opium, opium seconds and pipes. Detectives who climbed a ladder placed on to a verandah in front of the building had considerable difficulty in entering. The window was barred inside with inch planking backed with three uprights and four cross pieces of three-inch by two-inch timber reinforced with wire. A hole was cut and one detective went and opened tho door for the others. The doors were all reinforced on the inside. As a result of the raid six Chinese appeared in the Police Court before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Five of them, Gin On (laundryman), Wong Mow, aged 38, Ah Lee (gardener), aged 25, Ah b?ai (gardener), aged 45, and tShim Lind, pleaded guilty to charges of being found on promises for the purpose of smoking opium. “The premises are well-known and have figured in Court before,” said the Magistrate. “This place was barricaded and they knew the risk they wore running. ’ ’ Uin On and Wong Mow, who had been before the Court previously, were each fined £2O and costs. Ah Lee, Ah Shi anq Shim Lind were each fined £l2 10s and costs. Stanley Chin Horne, laundryman, aged 47, was charged with permitting the premises to be used for smoking opium and with being found in possession of prepared opium. He was remanded, bail being fixed at £IOO.