BIG HAUL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27346, 23 March 1950, Page 4

BIG HAUL

IMITATION PEARL NECKLACES ALERT CUSTOMS OFFICERS PA AUCKLAND, Mar. 22. Sacks full of Japanese imitation pearl necklaces have been seized by the Customs officials in Auckland in frustrating attempts at wholesale smuggling from the Chinese-manned freighter Eastern, which has been discharging timber from Japan. No authoritative estimate of the value of the confiscated jewellery was obtainable today, but similar necklaces are being sold in city shops for as much as £3 15s each. At that figure, the total haul is worth a sum running into four figures. As soon as the Eastern entered the Port of Auckland from Adelaide on February 23, she was kept under careful observation by Customs officials, even while she was lying in the stream awaiting a berth. Attempts are believed to have been made to spirit ashore the necklaces, which are of the three-strand variety. It is understood that they have been found is sacks, suitcases' and parcels. The smugglers persisted when the vessel moved to the Western wharf on March 6, and again after she shifted to the export wharf last week. Continual observations last week indicated that black-market transactions were taking place in the crew’s quarters at the after end of the ship while Japanese oak was being unloaded.

Ventilators were among the places where the uncustomed articles were found. Twenty necklaces were discovered in a pair of knee-boots in the officers’ quarters amidships, where they had been dropped in frenzied haste by one of the Chinese seamen. Some necklaces are believed to have been thrown overboard into the Waitemata Harbour.