Opium Smuggling

Big Haul From French Boat In Suva

From Our Own Correspondent.

Suva, May 25.

CUSTOMS officials in Suva on May 16 made a valuable haul of opium from the Messagenes Maritimes vessel “Eridan” during ner visit to Suva to take on oil fuel, while en route from Mar seilles via Papeete to Vila and Noumea.

The amount secured was 184 lbs. The authorities said that the local retail value was rumoured to be £2/10/ oz. giving the haul a total value of £730.

The first lot taken was when a Cus toms officer apprehended a member of the crew, Horace Malfathi, coming ashore. A search revealed that he had 54 lbs. on his person in three parcels, one strapped in the small of his back and the other two round his calves. In the Police Court he pleaded guilty to a charge of importing opium and was fined £l5O, default being fixed at six months’ imprisonment. The fine was paid.

Later the same day, another man al leged to be acting in a suspicious man ner in the town was arrested and search ed, but was found to have nothing con cealed on him. He was taken back to the ship and a search made of the re frigerating space where he was employ ed disclosed two tins containing a total of 13 lbs. of opium. This man, the shjp’s

freezer, Jean Poli, and the butcher, Syl vestre Orsmi, were arrested, the latter because the opium was actually found In the butchery.

To enable the ship to get away as soon as possible the Police Court sat at night, both men pleading not guilty. Af ter a somewhat lengthy trial, hampered by difficulties of interpretation, the Mag istrate declared that there was a doubt as to whether the defendants were actu ally in possession of and responsible for the opium, as it had been proved that it was possible for other members of the crew to have had access to the butchery.

They were given the benefit of the doubt and were discharged, the opium being confiscated and destroyed.

Mrs. M. Wilson, acting matron of the Methodist Mission’s Hospital at Ba, Fiji, reached Sydney from Suva by the May “Monterey”, on furlough.

Mr. Les. Clout, an officer of the N.G.

Administration, who has been carrying out regular inspections of RabauTs vol canoes, had a narrow escape recently.

Taking temperature readings in Vulcan Island crater, he was traversing a por tion of the floor when the thin crust gave way beneath him and one leg was plunged into scalding mud. Fortunate ly he was able -to crawl to firmer ground without the rest of his body breaking through the surface crust.

He spent five weeks in Namanula Hos pital recovering from the bums.