CONCEALED OPIUM FOUND

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 16 July 1915, Page 3

CONCEALED OPIUM FOUND

'CHINESE FIREMAN FINED £25. AtrcaCLAND', July 13. On' arrival of .tie steamer Caldexgrove at Auickjland' from Philadelphia the Customs officers, in making their ■ usual search, came across six tins, of opium. . and a tin. of yen she concealed above one of tftie shiiip's •boilers. The opium was claimed by a Chinese fireman named Chan Fook, and he was brought before .■Mir F. V. Fraser, S.M., this morning on a charge of (having had apiuan in his possession. Mr Ridings statedi that the illegal importation of opium from ships that carried Chanese among the crew was gradually increasing. Recently the Customs officials had found 460 tins in a ship that came to Auckland with empty bunkers. Usually it was /possible to find very little Oa the opium, 'but as the coal and cargo went down, as the ships discharge a.t ports down the coast, the Chines© got' at the hiding places of the opium, and ran the stuff ashore. He felt quite sure that it would be found .that opium would he run from this ship at Southern ports. The six tins of opium contained' 360z, and yen she (seconds.) Soz, the value being about £slsi. The accused., through an interpreter, stated that ihe was an inveterate opiumeated, and .had .been so • for the last 20 years. He needed the opiuii, which was •for. his own >nse, arid he could not work without it. The Interpreter: "He : tells me he eats and smokes', ahout half an ounce a day, and he would "die without it. The yen she is the. opium, cooked' for eating. He got the opium from a Chinese aboard, a ship in an English port near' America," His Worship remarked' that jif accused) had) declared the opium he would not have <been changed with any. offence. He must 'be (fined. £SIOO, the minimum, "which, was reduced 1 under: the special' seotion. to £25, with 22s 6d costs. Mr Ridings that accused had £27 pay to him, and that if he did' notpay his fine the captain of the ship wouikl have to enter-into a- bond for £2OO, that the man would not be left here. The opium would be forfeited, hut the man. would probably be aEowed to keep the yen she.