AN OPIUM DEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26746, 15 April 1948, Page 5

AN OPIUM DEN

THREE CHINESE CAUGHT RAID BY DETECTIVES The story of a raid by two detectives on premises in Stafford street and the subsequent discovery of an opium den was related in the City Police Court yesterday when three Chinese were charged before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. Yee Long Tim, who is a double amputee, aged 48. was fined £25 and costs (10s) for having a quantity of opium in his possession; Yee Jin Kin, a labourer, aged 32, £ls and costs (10s)/ for smoking prepared opium; and Chin Lan. chief steward of the steamer Inchwells, £l2 10s and costs (10s) for being on premises used for smoking opium, wi'hout a lawful excuse. It appeared that Chin Lan could not understand English, and an inteoreter had to be obtained for him. the Very Rev. G. H. McNeur fulfilling that duty. Chin Lan, who said he had no money, was the onlv one of the three to plead not guilty. Chief Detective T. Y. Hall, who prosecuted. said that Detective-sergeant Macdonald Brown and Acting-detective A. E. Leadley went to 31 Stafford street at 9.40 p.m. bn Tuesday night. They entered a room with two beds in it to find Yee Kin smoking an opium Dipe and Chin Lan lounging on the same bed. Yee Long Tim had two ounces of opium in his possession. Mr Hall produced the opium as well as two sets of what he described “ the paraphernalia ” for smoking the drug. He said that Yee Long Tim had £lB 10s and Yee Jin Kin had £26. The former had been convicted four times previously for possessing opium and the latter once for being on premises in use for smoking opium without a lawful excuse. In the case of Chin Lan, evidence was given by Detective-sergeant Brown and Acting-detective Leadley. Convicting Chin Lan. the magistrate Imposed a fine of £l2 10s and costs (10s), In default 14 days’ imprisonment.