RAID ON CHINESE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21450, 25 March 1933, Page 14

RAID ON CHINESE

TWO BARRICADED HOUSES STEEL NET DEFENCE OPIUM SMOKERS FINED [BY TELEGHAPH —PBESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Friday Disturbing the serenity of Ilaining Street shortly before 11.30 last night, a large force of police forced open the heavily barricaded doors of two houses suspected of harbouring opium smokers. A number of occupants were arrested. The arrival of tho police caused something of a panic, and in one house a Chineso was eventually found hiding among the rafters above the ceiling. The system of barricades was elaborate. Heavy steel mesh lined the insideg of all doors and windows. This, with wooden and iron bars, made the task of tho police a difficult one. A steel net at the top of a flight of stairs in one house blocked access to the upper storey, and the police employed a powerful timber jack in effecting an entry. Ten Chinese who were arrested last night in the raid appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M., to-day. Two pleaded guilty to charges of permitting premises to bo used for opium smoking, and others with being found unlawfully on premises. The two former were each fined £SO, in default threo months' imprisonment. Their names are Willie Wong and Zung Lum. Three of the others were each fined £l2 10s, and the rest were remanded on bail. The smallness of the fines is explained by the representation made by counsel that Chinese recently had been serving a term in prison when they had been heavily fined, and if the fines were reasonably small there was a possibility of their finding the money. That, he submitted, would bo more in tho interests of the country than that the men should be kept in gaol at the expense of the Government. POSSESSION OF OPIUM PENALTY OF £25 IMPOSED [BY TELEGRAPH —PBESS ASSOCIATION] GISBORNE, Friday In the Magistrate's Court before Mr. P. H. Harper, S.M., to-day, a Chinese, Wong Ham, aged 25, pleaded guilty t 0 a charge of being found in possession of prepared opium. < Detective McLeod said he saw accusad in town with a parcel. On being asked what it contained accused said it was tea. He was taken to the police station where the parcel was found to contain a basket of tea and also a packet of prepared opium. Accused said the opium had been sent from Wellington. The value of the opium was £2, but papers found on accused indicated that similar quantities had been previously obtained at intervals of about one month. The magistrate said that as accused had not been in trouble before a fine ot' £25, the minimum under the Act, would be imposed.