OPIUM-EATER FINED

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9095, 14 July 1915, Page 2

OPIUM-EATER FINED

HOW CHINESE BEAT THE CUSTOMS OFFICIALSPress Association. AUCKLAND, July 13. On arrival of tho steamer Caldergrove at Auckland from Philadelphia, the Customs officers, in making their usual search, came across six tins of opium and a tin of yen she concealed above one of the ship’s boilers. The opium was claimed by a Chinese fireman named Chan' Took, and ho was brought before Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., this morning on a charge of having had opium in his possession. Mr Ridings stated tnat illegal importation of opium from ships that carried Chinese among their crews was gradually increasing- Recently the Customs officials had found 460 tins in a ship that came to Auckland with empty bunkers. Usually it was possible to find very little of the opium, but as the coal and cargo went down as the ships discharged at ports along the coast the Chinese got at the hiding-places of the opium and ran the stuff ashore. He felt quite sure it would be found that opium would bo run from- this ship at southern ports. The six tins of opium contained 360 z, and yon she (seconds) soz, the value being about £ls. The accused, through an interpreter, stated.that he was an inveterate opiumeater, and had been so for tlie last twenty years. He needed the opium for his own use, and he could not work without it.

The interpreter: “Ho tells me he eats and smokes about half ,an ounce a day, and he would die without it. Tho yen she is the opium cooked for eating. Ho got tho opium from a Chinaman aboard a ship in an English port near America.”

The magistrate remarked that if the accused had declared the opium l he would not have been charged with any offence. He must be fined £IOO, the minimum, which was reduced under the special section to £25, with 22s 6d costs.

Mr Ridings mentioned that accused had £27 pay coming to him, and that if he did not pay Ins fine tho captain of the ship would have to enter into a bond for £2OO that tho man would not ho left here. Tho opium would he forfeited, but the man would probably be allowed to keep the yen she.