OPIUM SMUGGLING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13946, 29 April 1909, Page 2

OPIUM SMUGGLING.

100 TINS SEIZED AT SYDNEY

CHINESE AND BRIBERY.

By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright

SYDNEY, April 28.

The Customs seized 100 tins of opium on the steamer Empire. The opium wa.s concealed in fake-bottomed tt links. Three Chinese were arrested.

The efforts of the officers of the Customs Department to prevent the smuggling of opium into the Commonwealtu are being attended with considerable success. Steamers coming from, the Kast are lx>ing systematically searched for contraband, the result being that soin« big seizures have been made. When the Gorman mail steamer Prinz Waldotnar reached Sydnej' from the Kast recently she was closely watched, and subsequently a party of searchers, discovered 332 tins of opium, valued at over £1000. '

The surprise occasioned by the find-j in_ of the opium deepened into excitement when it became known that a daring attempt had been made to l>ribe the Customs searchers by Chinese members af the crew. One Celestial handed the >üm of £11 to Searcher Owens, at same time remarking, "You very good fellow ; you makey all'i." The ofnoer took the money, and immediately reported the matter to Customs Officer Cobb, n'ko was in charge of the searching party. All the searchers were mustered, and shortly after the contraband was quickly located in the lining boards oi two cabins in the second saloon. A careful examination showed that a cut less than 3in. square had been made in the lining boards, andHhe opium passed through the hole into the space between the snip's side and thp lining. Aftei concealing the opium the smugglers replaced the "cut," and a bracket was screwed over it, giving it all the appearance of part of the cabin fittings. It was a scratch on ' the paint' near the bracket that excited the suspicions of the searchers. The bracket Wa» taken off, and the hiding-place of the ■contraband revealed. Altogether 166 tins were found in this spot. An6ther cabin in the vessel was overhauled, and behind the lining a further quantity of forty-six tins was traced. "MAKEY ALL'I." Searching operations were continued during the afternoon, and two officers, named Hyde, were on the track of another parcel of opium when they were accosted by another member of the Chinese crew. In a most bland kind of way the Chinaman handed £3 to the searchers, and asked them to "makey all'i," but the officers were not so in T clined. They were bent on securing a! the opium they could get their hands on, and resuming the search located- 120 tins in the lining boards of the saloon pantry. The' opium- had been carefully packed, and several of the lining boards had to be removed to get at it. The search was continued up to dark, and meanwhile the 332 tins found on board were sent on to the King's Warehouse. Tho money h_nded over to the searchers as bribes was taken charge of by Boart ing Officer M'Manus, who in turn hand; ed it over to the Collector of Customs. FOUND IN SAUSAGE SKINS. A Customs officer at Fremantle made a sehmre of opium, concealed on tb/> person of a Chinese fireman,, lim Swee Suan of the steamer Minilya, which recently arrived from Singapore. The' man was wearing & broad belt, and on feeling it the Customs officer found a lump. An investigation brought to light twenty-two ounces of opium in sausage skins, ' hidden under the belt. The Chinese will be charged with having opium in his possession.