CO129-502-10 Macao opium traffic 6-12-1926 - 7-12-1927 — Page 131

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Enclosure No. 2.

Honourable Colonial Secretary,

Macao opium. Exports to Paraguay.

I forward herewith a copy of the Macao Gazette showing that the Japanese steamer "Kumamoto Maru" left for Paraguay from

Macao on December 15th. This should apparently be read in

connection with the reported export of 200 chests of Persian opium to an unmentioned destination, as recorded in the Opium

return from Macao for the month of December.

2. The S.S. Kumamoto Maru has I think been mentioned in

reports from Bushire as engaged in the Persian opium traffic.

There is of course no reason to believe that she will reach

Paraguay, or that she took any opium at all. There was a

certain amount of Persian opium recorded as being in the hands

of the merchants and it had to be written off somehow, before

the new consignment of Perian opium, which I am informed is expected soon, arrives and is taken on charge. The Kumamoto

Maru arrived from Karatsu, it is therefore probable that she

brought a cargo of coal, and was returning to Japan in Ballast.

sd. J.D. Lloyd.

Superintendent of Imports and Exports.

18th January, 1927.