CO129-481 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [8-12] — Page 151

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COUPA DIPEL

Report on an opium smuggling syndicate discovered

at 5 Wing Shing Street Second floor the premises of the

Wing Tai Steamship Co.

-------arm m

Having received information that the Wing Shing

Stemship De, were about to sign a oentract with the well knom Persian firm of 1, 1, 1, Nomaseo & Co. of this Colony for 100 abasts of Benares Opium 1920 arop, delivery to be

made in a month outside the three mile limit, price $6,000 per chest, including freight, delivery at a secret rendez-

vens, I ordered a search to be made. The result was as follows:» a mall quantity of raw Chinese Opium probably a sample, a mall quantity of illicit prepared opium probably a sample, a mes of documents dealing with opium smggling, complete set of steel dies for making tins with the trade

mark and name of the Macao Opium Farm Co., and an opium

broker from Kwongohauwan, who had on him a letter about opium dealing. The manager of the Steamship Co, was fined #510 for possession and has since been detained with view to banishment from the delony.

2.

The Fing Tai Steamship Co. has recently been

formed; it omis er manages the small steamer Anjou, which after a fov trips between Kwongchanwan, Macau, Canton and this Colony is now being reconstructed. The Company however has connections with the owners or charterers of several small stemmers ruming between Kwongchauwan and this Colony. These mall steamers on this run have been inveterate opium emugglers, hitherto chiefly of Kwongohauwan French Monopoly

The prepared opium, and have been fined several times. legitimate trade which they do cannot make them pay, they are very old, and the expenses of running must be high though they are cheaply named with Chinese crews including in some cases Chinese officers. The Wing Tai Co. were

notwithstanding