Though enquiries were made no satisfactory explanation was discovered; it may have been due to hoarding against an anticipated increase in price, but the fact that high prices were being offered outside the Colony may have led some of the registered smokers to dispose of their supplies at a profit. It is said that there is a regular demand for Kamshan opium every year about 3 months before Chinese New Year for the purpose of blending it with opium prepared outside the Colony for the American New Year market, now that supplies of genuine Indian opium are so difficult to obtain. A strict enquiry into the standing of all registered smokers of Kamshan opium has led to a marked diminution in the number of renewals of pass books in 1931. That a certain number of registered smokers had been in the habit of registering with the idea of obtaining supplies for the consumption of others was proved by the finding of fifteen taels of Kashan opium, a number of empty tins and three pass books in the possession of a man who was not registered. This man, who was convicted, was conducting a sort of high-class divan, in which he used a blend of Kamshan and illicit opium, and was also carrying on a retail trade. The pass books were at once cancelled, but it was found impossible to trace the persons who had originally applied for them.
2. Sources of illicit opium:
(a) (1).--Prepared Opium
(1) Macau took the first place having supplied 60 per cent of all seizures. Practically all this was the well-known Red Lion Brand in one tael tins. At the present time this is the best-known brand of prepared opium throughout the world, for during the year seizures have been made extensively in Singapore, Java, and the Philippine Islands, and fairly frequently in Australia, U.S.A. and British North Borneo. This brand varies somewhat in quality and colour. Some contains little but Chinese opium and gummy filling material, some of better quality is made from a blend of Persian and Chinese opium, and some contains a large amount of opium dross. This opium is not sold by the official Monopoly for consumption in Macau. It was common in the earlier part of the year to find these brass tins stamped with the name of the firm Wang Kei in green ink, but the address of this firm was unknown until a seizure which included cakes of Persian Opium each bearing the firm's address in Macau was made. Enquiries by the Macau Government proved that the address was that of a licensed retailer of official Monopoly opium, but no evidence was found that the firm was also dealing in another brand of prepared opium. It is significant, however, that the name of this firm has not been noticed recently on any of the Red Lion Opium seized.
·E 5-
It
Though enquiries were made no satisfactory explanation was discovered; it may have been due to hoarding against an anticipated increase in price, but the fact that high prices were being offered outside the Colony may have led some of the registered smokers to dispose of their supplies at a profit. is said that there is a regular demand for Kamshan opium every year about 3 months before Chinese New Year for the purpose of blending it with opium prepared outside the Colony for the American New Year market, now that supplies of genuine Indian opium are so difficult to obtain. A strict enquiry into the stand- ing of all registered smokers of Kamshan opium has led to a marked diminution in the number of renewals of pass books in 1931. That a certain number of registered smokers had been in the habit of registering with the idea of obtaining supplies for the consumption of others was proved by the finding of fifteen taels of Kashan opium, a number of empty tins and three pass books in the possession of man who was not registered. This man, who was convicted, was conducting a sort of high class divan, in which he used a blend of Kamshan and illicit opium, and was also carrying on a retail trade. The pass books were at once cancelled, but it was found impossible to trace the persons who had originally applied for them.
2. Sources of illicit opium:-
(a) (1).--Prepared Opium
(1) Macau took the first place having supplied 60 per cent of all seizures. Practically all this was the well- known Red Lion Brand in one tael tins. At the present time this is the best known brand of prepared opium throughout the world, for during the year seizures have been made extensively in Singapore, Java, and the Philippine Islands, and fairly frequently in Australia, U.S.A. and British North Borneo. This brand varies somewhat in quality and colour. Some contains little but Chinese opium and gummy filling material, some of better quality is made from a blend of Persian and Chinese opium, and some contains a large amount of opium dross. This opium is not sold by the official Monopoly for consumption in Macau. It was common in the earlier part of the year to find these brass tins stamped with the name of the firm Wang Kei in green ink, but the address of this firm was unknown until a seizure which included cakes of Persian Opium each bearing the firm's address in Macau was made. Enquiries by the Macau Government proved that the address was that of a licensed retailer of official Monopoly opium, but no evidence was found that the firm was also dealing in another brand of prepared opium. It is significant however that the name of this firm has not been noticed recently on any of the Red Lion Opium seized.
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