OPIUM SMOKING CHARGES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 15

OPIUM SMOKING CHARGES

CHINESE FINED AT AUCKLAND DETECTIVES’ DIFFICULTY IN ENTERING BUILDING I By Telegraph —Preps Association) AUCKLAND, 9th September. Chopping their way through a heavily-barricaded window on the second storey of a building in Greys Avenue on Wednesday night, detectives entered the premises and seized a quantity of prepared opium, opium seconds, and pipes

The detectives, who climbed a ladder placed on to the 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 thrce-inch by two-inch timber, reinforced with wire. A hole was cut, and one detective went in and opened the door for the others. The doors were all reinforced on the inside. After the raid six Chinese appeared in the Magistrate’s Court before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Five of them, Gin On, a laundryman, Wong Mow, aged 38, Ah Lee, a gardener, aged 25, Ah Sai, a gardener, aged 45, and Shim Lind, pleaded guilty to charges of being found on premises for the purpose of smoking opium. “The premises are well known, and have figured in Court before,” said the Magistrate. “The place was barricaded, and they knew the risk they were running.” Gin On and Wong Mow, who had been before the Court previously, were each fined £2O and ordered to pay costs. Ah Lee. Ah Sai. and Shim Lind were each fined £l2 10s, and costs. Stanley Chin Horne, a laundryman. aged 47, was charged with permitting premises to be used for smoking opium, and with being found in possession of prepared opium. He was remanded, bail being fixed at £IOO.