POSSESSION OF OPIUM.
INDIAN HAWKER FINED. PENALTY OF HUNDRED POUNDS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. That the efforts- of the Customs Department to suppress the smuggling of opium into New Zealand are meeting with some success was evidenced in the Magistrate's Court to-day, when Natha Vittal, an Indian fruit-hawker, pleaded guilty to bringing 4£lb. of opium into the country. Mr. MacLaurin, collector of customs, said that Vittal was one of a number of Indians who returned to New Zealand by the Marama on July 20. His luggage was taken to an address in Tory Street, but 110 arrangements had been made for his lodging there, and his luggage was placed in the backyard. Apparently the opium was taken out of one of his cases and hidden in a stable in Sturdee Street, where it was later found by a customs officer. "It is solid opium, worth anything up to £3OO in New Zealand," said Mr. MacLaurin, "and I ask for a substantial fine. Even if only one or two of these parcels of opium get through, the profit on them is sufficient to pay for the fines of those men who may be caught." The magistrate, Mr. E. Page, imposed a fine of £IOO.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19260724.2.138
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 15
Word Count
205POSSESSION OF OPIUM. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 15
Using This Item
NZME is the copyright owner for the New Zealand Herald. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons New Zealand BY-NC-SA licence . This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of NZME. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries and NZME.
Log in