2
is reason to believe that most of the arms brought into India in the manner. referred to eventually find their way across the North-West Frontier,
We have the honour to be,
SIR,
Your most obedient, humble Servants,
(Signed) ELGIN,
↓
G. S. WHITE.
A. E. MILLER.
"
H. BRACKENBURY.
"}
C. B. PRITCHARD.
J}
17
J. WESTLAND.
}}
A. P. MACDONNELL.
Enclosures of Military letter No. 89, dated 5th June 1894.
Enclosure No. 1.
Madras
From J. E. O'Coxon, Esq., Assistant Secretary to the Government of India, Finance and
Commerce Department, to the Secretary to the Government of my, and to the Chief
Thengal Commissioner of Burma,--(No. 101.8, Statistics and Commerce-Customs,” dated Calcutta, the 27th March 1894.)
I am directed to invite attention to the enclosed copy of a note* by Mr. II. A. Close, District Superintendent of Police at Kohat, and to request that, with the permission of instructions may be issued to the Customs authorities in
• Dated the 29th November 1893.
His Excellenes the Governor in Council
His Honear the deutenant-Governor'
Madrug
1 Bombay and old to exercise vigilance in the prevention of the importation of arms by sepoys
Bengal
Burma
returning to India from the Colonies.
Trade in Arms with Hong-Kong.
Os the 19th of September Mr. Donald, Political Assistant, effected the arrest of one Khan Beg, gunner of the "Asiatic Artillery," Hong-Kong, in the act of selling a rifle in Kobat city.
Khan Beg, who is a Miazai Pathan of the Bannu district, admitted bringing the rifle from Hong-Kong and justified the possession of the weapon by the production of a pass signed by the Commanding Officer. The pass authorized Klian Beg to take a rifle to India.
From enquiries made it was proved that, a short time previous to arrest, Khan Beg had sold a rifte, giving with it a pass, to a trans-border Jowaki.
Both rifle and pass were obtained from across the border and made over to District Sup- erintendent of Police. This second pass was in favour of Gunner Diyal Singh No. 897 of the "Asiatic Artillery," and authorized the man to take a rifle, "his private property," to Calcutta.
Questioned regarding Diyal Singh and the sale of the rifle to the Jowaki, Khan Beg denied all knowledge of the man or implication in the sale. He added that his papers, pass, etc., had been lost.
Whilst in custody, Khan Beg attempted to send a massage to Sowar Mir Khan of the 7th Troop, 11th Bengal Lancers, in Rawalpindi. This hint was acted on with the result that his box, papers, etc., were found in the lines of that regiment.
The papers contained so many references to rifles, and the box had so palpably been made for the secret conveyance of arms, that Khan Beg was moved to make a confession.
He stated that rifles were so cheap in Hong-Kong that most men of the artillery when going on leave brought over some.
He personally obtained a pass for one and secreted another under the false bottom of a box made for the purpose. Khan Beg eventually owned to secreting two, and that number have been recovered. Personally District Superintendent of Police is of opinion that he probably had five or six.
His pass appears to have satisfied the customs authorities in Calcutta as regards the rifle openly carried; and the search of his box must have been perfunctory, for attention paid to outer and inner measurements would at once have led to the discovery of the fraud.
Arriving in Rawalpindi, Khan Beg put up with friends in the 11th Bengal Lancers and set about the disposal of the rifles.
Starting for Meean Meer with his pass and a rifle, he left the latter in the lines of the 20th Punjab Infantry, a regiment in which he had once served, went on to Ferozepore, took over the rifle Diyal Singh had brought, and returned to Rawalpindi.
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