MAIL-BAGS RIFLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 198, 10 November 1927, Page 1

MAIL-BAGS RIFLED

THEFT DISCOVERED AT AUCKLAND DONE DURING TRANSIT? Several articles and packages, none of which is considered to have contained anything of great value, were stolen from two bags of English mail which arrived in Auckland by the Marama. The theft must have taken place some time ago, as the slits which were made in the bags are frayed and worn. The bags did not contain any letters, but only small' parcels and registered packages. Several wrappers and loose articles were found in the bags. The people whose names are on the wrappers have been communicated with by the officials of the post office, with a request to forward, if possible, a list of the articles they were expecting. Apparently most of the articles in the bags consisted of personal adornment. A frock and a pair of green garters were left behind by the thief, A small bag, in which there were registered packages was contained in a larger bag. The thief had slit the large bag in one of the folds at the neck, making a hole just large enough to put his hand in. The smaller bag was cut in the same way. The slits were very small. All the packages and parcels were for the Auckland district only. The bags may have been rifled before the mail left England. They were part of a consignment which left England by the Mooltan on September 29. The large bag -would be transferred a number of times, and the theft may have taken place during transit from train to boat or on the sea. The mail was made up at Mount Pleasant, the central London post office, taken by train to Southampton, transferred from the Mooltan at Fremantle and taken across Australia to Sydney, where it was placed on the Marama for Auckland. Inquiries will be made in Auckland and a report forwarded to the London authorities, who in turn will make inquiries there.