WELLINGTON OPIUM RAID

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1931, Page 4

WELLINGTON OPIUM RAID

CHINESE HOUSE BARRICADED CONSTABLE SMELLS THE SMOKE. POSSE WORK’S HALF-HOUR ON DOOR EIGHT CHINESE UNDER ARREST By Telegraph.—Press Aseoeiatioa. Wellington, Last Night. Heavily barricaded doors and window® greeted a posse of police which raided premises occupied by Chinese in Haining Street this afternoon. After endeavouring to force an entry with crowbars and other implements for over half an hour, the police opened a door at the back of the house, entered and seized a considerable quantity of opium, together with a large array of sundry paraphernalia used for the smoking of the drugEight Chinese were arrested and will appear before the Police Court to-mor-row morning. Suspicion that there was opium-smok-ing in the vicinity was first aroused by a constable smelling the unmistakable odour of the drug while he was passing through Hainipg Street early in the afternoon. He lost no time in reporting the mutter to headquarters at Mt. Cook. Within half an hour Senior-Sergeant 'Scott, Sergeant O’Donnell and & number of constables were endeavouring to force an entry to premises known as No. 36, but stout pieces of wood clamped together with solid brackets of iron and securely placed over the doors prevented entry being gained for half an hour. A large crowd watched the raid.