LONDON AFFAIR

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18069, 19 March 1923, Page 9

LONDON AFFAIR

MAN INVEIGLED BY CHINESE. SUBSTANTIAL PENALTY. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT London, March 17. Howard Humphrey, a city hardware merchant, was lined £260 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for offering to procure morphine, heroin and cocaine for a Chinese company at Amay. He pleaded guilty. Counsel, in opening the case, said the accused was a man who utilised an established position in the commercial world for the purpose of making huge profits bv trafficking in dangerous drugs. When the Japanese steamer Mishi Maru arrived at Hong Kong in October of last year a Japanese aboard was arrested, and four cases of furniture belonging to him were seized ; 2400 ounces of morpnne and 2400 ounces of cocaine were found hidden m the upholstery. The Japanese had a quantity of documents, and through these the authorities were enabled to bring the charges against Humphrey. included were receipts showing that t Tongsay Company, Amoy, paid to accused, and also directions m his hand-writing indicating the drugs contained in the furniture. The authorities intercepted correspondence in the Post Office. In one letter it was pointed out that the shipment would realise in China £120,000, leaving a profit of £79,000. The Japanese at Hong Kong was fined 2500 dollars or six months imprisonment.