POLICE RAIDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22580, 19 November 1936, Page 10

POLICE RAIDS

NINE CITY PREMISES MANY ARRESTS MADE j CHINESE AND EUROPEANS ! PAKAPOO TICKETS SEIZED In nine raids by detectives on pree mises in different parts of the city yesterday afternoon 12 Chinese and 21 Europeans were arrested and charged with breaches of the Gaining Act. Mr, W. Kane, -J .P., presided over a special Court session at the central police station and remanded the defendant# on bail to appear before a magistrate in the Police Court this morning. Four premises in Grey's Avenue, three in Hobson Street, one in Ferguson Street and one in Pitt Street were raided simultaneously, and a small group of spectators gathered round each place as the detectives emerged with persons in custody and awaited the arrival of the police van. Much Preparatory With each party of arrested men was a quantity of pakapoo tickets, and by the time the, last batch arrived at the police station there, were several benzine cases filled with tickets and slips of paper. A Chinese'in. one of the premises in Grey s 'Avenue, scurried away when he saw the detectives and left three or four pound notes on the table. . .

Although the raids yesterday were less spectacular than one in the city on Friday night, there was a good deal of preparatory work for the police to do before the Court sat at 9 p.m. Traditional Calmness By that time the majority of. the bail recognisances had been prepared, the fingerprints of the principals were taken, and all the necessary documents issued. The Chinese accepted the situation with traditional calmness and ■ seemed even to enjoy the experience of dabbing their fingers on to a stamp pad and having them placed on paper. Nine Chinese were charged with using their premises as common gaming houses. Each defendant was re- i manded on bail of £oo. Three Chinese were charged with assisting in the management of a common gaming house and bail was fixed at £SO in each case. The 21 Europeans were charged with being found unlawfully on premises used as a common gaming house and remanded on bail of £3 each.