POLICE RAID

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20829, 10 September 1937, Page 8

POLICE RAID

CHINESE PREMISES BARRICADED OPIUM SMOKING CHARGES By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND. September 9 Chopping their way through a heavily barricaded window on the second story of a building in Grey’s Avenue on Wednesday, detectives entered premises and seized a quantity of prepared opium, opium seconds and pipes. The detectives who climbed a ladder placed on to a verandah in front of the building had considerable difficulty in entering the window, which was barred on the inside with inch planking backed with three uprights and four cross-pieces of three inch by twoinch timber, reinforced with wire. A hole was cut, and one detective went and opened the door for the others. The doors were all reinforced on the inside. As a result of the raid, six Chinese appeared in the Police Court before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M., five of them. Gin On, laundryman; Wong Mow, aged 35; Ah Lee, gardener, aged 25; Ah Sai, gardener, aged 45; and Shim Lind pleaded guilty to the charges of being found on premises for the purpose of smoking opium. “The premises are well-known, and have figured in Court before,” said the Magistrate. “The place was barricaded, and they knew the risk they were running.” Gin On and Wong Mow, who had been before the Court previously, were each fined £2O and costs. Ah Lee, Ah Sai and Shim Lind were each fined £l2/10/- and costs. Stanley Chin Home, laundryman, aged 47, was charged with permitting premises to be used for the smoking of opium, and with being found in possession of prepared opium. He was remanded, bail being fixed at £lOO.