ILLICIT LIQUOR SALES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22422, 17 November 1934, Page 9

ILLICIT LIQUOR SALES

RAID ON LONDON HOUSE HEAVY FINES IMPOSED. At every port and aerodrome In Britain detectives and Customs officials have been on the look-put for a man who is believed to be the “king” of whisky smuggling and the “ master mind” of illicit spirit distilling. The News of the World states that Scotland Yard is staggered by the discovery of a widespread plot to supply smuggled and illicit liquor to night clubs and public houses at “cut prices.” In this connection remarkable allegations were made in the course of the prosecution at Tottenham of Benjamin . Berger, aged 31, of Edmonton, London. It could be assumed, said Mr ’D. Pocock, prosecuting, that when Berger’s house was raided, he was preparing to make 250 gallons of liqueurs, wines, and other kinds of drinks, which would be ultimately unloaded on to the public as choice Continental liqueurs and wines. The existence of a widespread organisation was hinted at by Berger himself. His defence was that he had never sold any of the manufactured spirits. He stated that he had delivered it to the “master mind,” a man known as Markovitch, who supplied all the materials and plant, and also deposited all the spirits. ■ *, The man, Berger said, had employed Mm at £2 10s a week as a general assistant, chauffeur and caretaker. Accused was fined £IO3O for keeping premises used for distilling spirits,, being in possession of a still without a license, and depositing spirit with intent to evade duty. He was also ordered to pay £369 on another charge of making “mash” without being licensed. This represented treble duty on the spirit found in the premises. In default of payment there will be six months’ imprisonment. Mr Pocock declared there was no doubt that Berger had made illicit distilling a- huge business in Edmonson, possibly one of the biggest in existence. In his bedroom there were a distilling plant and all the materials for manufacturing spirits. Mr Pocock referred to the danger to the public of spirits made under filthy conditions, and gave the profit at £1 for every shilling expended in its manufacture. Since Berger’s conviction new' facts have reached the authorities concerning the existence of a gang which has printing offices for printing “ fake ” labels, stamping outfits for manufacturing bops capsules and corks, and an organisation for the distribution of the illicit spirit. So widespread are the ramifications of the gang that companies manufacturing proprietary brands of whisky have been asked to assist in detecting bogus sales. Following this request inspectors from various companies have visited dubs and public houses and purchased samples from bottles carrying their own company’s labels. These samples have been analysed, and already cases have come to light of inferior whiskies being sold as proprietary brands. A well-known West End wine merchant said that he has been approached several times by a representative of a smuggling gang. “ I have been offered a thousand dozens of inferior whisky at 10s a bottle, and a thousand dozens of assorted proprietary brand labels with them, and as long credit as I like,” he stated. I have also been offered thousands of bottles of a proprietary type and advised how to till them and disguise the corking marks. The r offers, of course, were turned down.