CHINESE HOUSES RAIDED

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1933, Page 9

CHINESE HOUSES RAIDED

COUP IN TARANAKI STREET

ALLEGED PLAYING OF PAKAPOO.

THIRTY MEN HELD IN CUSTODY.

LARGE PROPORTION EUROPEANS

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Simultaneous raids were carried out by parties of police this afternoon on five houses in Taranaki Street, where it was suspected pakapoo was being played. The police made a clean sweep of every house, arresting in all 30 men, nine of them Chinese and the remainder Europeans. They will appear in the Police Court to-morrow morning. The raid was remarkable mainly for its well-organised swiftness. Tile raiding party composed of Senior-Sergeant Scott, Sergeant Black and nine constables, making about two officers to each. house. The houses entered are in a group in Taranaki Street. The police entered the houses simultaneously. There had obviously been no warning to the occupants and no trouble was experienced, the men giving themselves up without any attempt at opposition. In a very short time a crowd of several hundred, with a good proportion of Chinese, had gathered outside the houses, but there was little excitement. The arrested men were taken to the Mount Cook police station, necessitating three separate trips by a police van. Large numbers of marked tickets and other exhibits were also taken away. Five Chinese, one from each house, will be charged in the court to-morrow with using premises as common gaming houses, and the other 25, who comprise four Chinese and 21 Europeans, will be charged with being found on the premises without lawful excuse.