CHINESE ARRESTED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24132, 26 November 1941, Page 5

CHINESE ARRESTED

POLICE BOARD VESSEL SMOKING OF OPIUM Two Chinese seamen, travelling as passengers on an overseas ship, were arrested on the vessel at 4 o'clock yesterdav morning by Detective Cromwell and Constable Pine and were subsequently charged before Mr. J. Morling, S.M., with being found the possession of prepared opium. The Chinese, Chin Wan, aged 80, and Bing Sun, aged 87, both denied the charge. Constable Fine said he boarded the vessel and. looking throng!) a hatch into the Chinese quarters, saw four men, including the two accused. Chin Wan was smoking opium. With Detective Cromwell be later returned and entered the quarters, when Bing Sun attempted to hide an opium pipe. Both men were arrested. Mr. Andrew Chong, acting as interpreter, said the accused came from Hongkong, where opium was sold openly under Government licence, and they did not know possession of the drug was an offence in New Zealand. He considered the master of the ship could have conveyed the position to the men. In the past two months about. 200 Chinese had passed through New Zealand because of war conditions, so the matter should receive attention. The Chinese were doing good work, mostly on merchant ships, and would be drafted to other vessels on reaching their destination. There was no suggestion of trafficking in the drug. The magistrate said the circumstances were unusual, but ho could not treat the matter as trivial. The minimum fine for the offence was £25. The accused said they would plead guilty to a charge of smoking opium, for which the minimum penalty is £l2 10s, but stated they had oidy 10 dollars Hongkong in their possession. The charge was accordingly amended and the minimum fine imposed in each case. In default they were sentenced to one month's imprisonment and ordered to he placed on board the ship before it sailed.