RAID ON OPIUM DEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19426, 10 September 1937, Page 11

RAID ON OPIUM DEN

POLICE CHOP WAY IN FIVE CHINESE FIXED REMAND FOR SIXTH (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. Chopping their way through a heavily barricaded window on the second storey of a building in Greys avenue on Wednesday night, detectives entered the premises and seized, a quantity of prepared opium, seconds and pipes. The detectives, who climbed a ladder placed on to the verandah in front of the building, had considerable difficulty in entering. The window was barred on the inside with inch planking, backed with three uprights and four cross pieces of 3m. by 2in. timber, reinforced with wire. 'A hole was cut and one detective went in and opened the door for the others. The doors were all reinforced on the inside. . As a result of the raid, six Chinese appeared in the Police Court before Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M. Five of them, Gin On. a laundryman, Wong Mow, aged 38, Ah Lee, a gardener, aged 25, Ah Sai, a gardener, aged 45, and Shim Lind, pleaded guilty to charges of being found on premises for the purpose of smoking opium. "The premises are well-known and have figured in court before," said the magistrate. "The place was barricaded and they knew the risk they were running." Gin On and Wong Mow, who had been before the court previously, were each fined £2O and costs. Ah Lee, Ah Sai and Shim Lind were each fined £l2 10s and costs. Stanley Chin Home, a laundryman, aged 47, was charged with permitting the premises to be used for smoking opium, and with being found in possession of prepared opium. He was remanded on bail, which was fixed at £IOO.