CO129-506-1 Illicit opium traffic- leakage of confidential information 17-10-1927 - 10-1-1928 — Page 25

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in many

cases exactly what currency was reant, and whether all the expenses were included, but enough was clear to make it certain that the profit was a handsome one provided that the opium was disposed of as

soon as possible after landing. The prices charged for the opium varied from $1,900 to $2,400 in some cases $100 a chest was charged for freight,

The sale price varied in others apparently the price was inclusive.

from $3,000 to over $4,000 (possibly in some cases Canton money.)

On her last trip the ship left Sabang at the beginning of September, and was not heard of for some weeks, till she entered at Shanghai as coming from the Yangtsze port of Chinkiang; her crew were discharged at Shanghai and subsequently returned to Hongkong being

The ship is now involved in the piracy of the S.S. SUNNING on the way. reported to have been sold, and she left Shanghai recently for Haiphong.

After the search of firm's premises many of the partners left the Colony, and the rather fragmentary evidence found could not be used against the remaining partners, who some of them at least were in the nature of sleeping partners, so no action in the Courts could be taken against the partners. Action was taken against the person in charge of

At least four of the partners had been the premises without success. intimately connected with two firms of opium smugglers who were dispersed in 1923. The action taken in this case may warn the wealthy Chinese opium speculator that this Government is determined strictly to observe the terms of the Opium Conventions, and to refuse shelter to any person

engaged in transporting opium into China.

Besides managing deals in Persian opium on the large scale this firm was also engaged in smuggling raw and prepared Chinese opium into the Colony from Kwong Chow Wan and Yunnan, one of the partners having important connections amongst the opium dealers of the chief opium market of South China, the town of Tung Hing, which is situated near the

frontier of Tongking.