RAID ON OPIUM DEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 15

RAID ON OPIUM DEN.

• - CHINESE FINED £l5O. ft •• HOPELESS ADDICT OF DRUG." JTHREE OTHERS TO PAY £l2 10s. Pleading guilty to a charge of being the occupier of premises at 43, Grey's Avenue, which he permitted to be used j or smoking opium, Ah Chan, laundryman, ng ecl 38, was fined £l5O when ho appeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday. Three other Chinese who were found on the , premises when detectives forced an entry at eight o'clock on Tuesday evening wore each fined £l2 10s. They were Ah Chew, gardener, aged 42; Ah Sin, laundryman, aged 40; and Long Tin, gardener, aged 36, an,d they were charged, in addition to being unlawfully on tho premises, with being in the possession of prepared opium. Tho prosecutions were brought under the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1927. "This man is a hopeless addict," stated counsel representing Ah Chan. "I understand he has- .twice been convicted on previous occasions for similar offences. He has been a smoker of opium for 15 years and learned tho habit before coming to New Zealand 11 years ago. It can be said for him that he was not the actual seller of tho drug. He appears to have kept the opium den for himself. He simply cannot help using the drug and Chinese treatment has not done him any good." Ah Chew also pleaded guilty, the other two Chinese entering picas of not guilty. Premises Known to Police. . Detective-Sergeant T. Kelly stated that it had been known to tho police that the premises at 43, Grey's Avenue had been used for opium smoking. When the place wag raided Detectives McWhirter and Packman bad gone to tho front door and Detective Nalder to tho back of the premises. The front door was opened and the detectives were eugaged in forcing an interior door when, ■r from the sound of the movements of the Chinese and /the sight of a flickering light, it was assumed that the men were attempting to destroy their smoking utensils and opium. Some of the material seized by the police had been placed on 3. fire by the time the inner room was entered. "The premises were in a filthy condition and used only for the accommoda- ■ tion of opium smokers," Mr. Kelly proceeded., "The detectives found the accused only partly dressed. Six smoking pipes, two containers of opium and a number of packets prepared for sale were found hidden between the ceiling and. the first floor when two boards were forced off the ceiling." The magistrate, commenting on the fact that Ah Chan had been before the Court on three other occasions, on the last of which he had been fined £75, im- . posed a. penalty of £l5O, in default three I months' imprisonment. A request for ' time in which to find the money was refused. A Door Built of Steel. For Long Tin, a solicitor stated that I the accused had visited the premises _to collect money which was owing to him. It was pointed out that Long Tin differed in appearance from the other accused and did not have the pallor of an opium addict. Ah Chew was described as an addict, and Ah Sin was said to be a cook who was not able to find employment. The visit by the police was described in evidence by,- Detective Nalder, who said that- one door was virtually constructed of steel and had to be broken through. There was an odour of opium in the j;oom in which the accused were found and the appearances were that smoking had taken place, recently. Mr. Kelly exhibited a number of small packets of opium, which were seized, stating that the packets were for sale at 5s each. He added that he had not Lnown Long Tin previously, but tho man was found on the premises partly undressed. None of the accused was found actually with opium on his clothing. Mr. Kelly pointed out the difficulty confronting the police when Chinese barricaded premises. They had sufficient time to dispose of incriminating material. The pipes which had been seized were the best that had come under the notice of the police. Usually, opium pipes were fashioned from bamboo and door knobs. The magistrate fined the three accused £l2 10s each for being unlawfully on the premises and dismissed the charge of possessing prepared opium. Seven days were allowed in which to find payment. An order for the confiscation of the opium was made.