Summary Illicit Transactions and Seizures
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rCommunicated to the Council and Official No. : C. 246. M. 128. 1933. XI. the Members of the League.] [O.C.294 (o).] Geneva, April 1st, 1933. LEAGUE OF NATIONS ADV1SOKY COMMITTEE ON TKAFF1C IN OPIUM AND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS SUMMARY OF ILLICIT TRANSACTIONS AND SEIZURES REPORTED TO THE SECRETARIAT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS BETWEEN JANUARY 1 s t AND MARCH 31s t , 1933. Communiqué au Conseil et C.246. M.128. 1933. XI. aUx Membres de la Société. (O.C.294(o)) ERRATUM Genève, le 11 octobre 1933. SOCIETE DES NATIONS. COMMISSION CONSULTATIVE DU TRAFIC DE L’OPIUM ET AUTRES DROGUES NUISIBLES. RESUME DES TRANSACTIONS ILLICITES ET DES SAISIES COMMUNIQUEES AU SECRETARIAT DE LA SOCIETE DES NATIONS DU 1er JANVIER AU 31 MARS 1933. A la page to, sous la rubrique No. 738, au lieu du titre : Saisie de 152 kg. d ’opium brut effectuée à La Haye en juin 1932, lire : Saisie de 152 kg. d ’opium brut effectuée à La Haye en juin 1930. Sous point 3 , au lieu du 21 juin 1932, lire : le 21 juin 1930. LEAGUE OF NATIONS. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TRAFFIC IN OPIUM AND OTHER DANGEROUS DRUGS. SUMMARY OF ILLICIT TRANSACTIONS AND SEIZURES REPORTED TO THE SECRETARIAT OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS BETWEEN JANUARY 1st AND MARCH 31st, 1933. On page 10, under Report No. 738, instead of the heading: "Seizure of 152 kg. of Raw Opium at The Hague in June 1932", read: Seizure of 152 kg. of Raw Opium at The Hague in June 1930. and under Item 3, instead of June 21st, 1932 read : June 21st, 1930. PART I. CASES REPORTED IN PREVIOUS SUMMARIES IN REGARD TO WHICH FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED. No. 17.—Seizure in Berlin of Drugs coming from Lithuania. See O. C. 1207, series, The German representative on the Advisory Committee reports °'d'l09^’ Pa"6S 108 (December 31st, 1932) that the following persons have been arrested onc.294f9 ;,page7,andin connection with this case : Max Jnoks, Matejus Kuisys, August o!c.294f/V,’page 3. Waitschies and Oskar Neubauer, all merchants of Kônigsberg ; Frau Auguste Brosius, also of Kônigsberg ; ; Hermann Puslat, a merchant of |N 0/' Berlin and Eugen Matern, a lorry-driver of Berlin-Copenick. Jnoks, Kuisys and Waitschies stayed at Heydekrug, Memel, in 1927, at which time Waitschies was in possession of 5 kg. of cocaine which he had smuggled into Memel from Germany. According to a statement of the Customs officials, these 5 kg. were part of a consignment sent by the firm of Merck & Co., Darmstadt, to the firm of Lunz, of Kovno. The goods were despatched by Merck in 1927 on export certificate No. 1969 to the forwarding agents Lewy & Diementstein, Tilsit. Lewy stated that, contrary to the regulations in force, the cocaine had been delivered, on the instructions of Lunz, to a certain Ebner, apparently through the Customs office of Brionischken. Ebner has meanwhile emigrated to America. Lewy further asserted that the cocaine that passed through the Customs at Brionischken was smuggled into Memel by Waitschies and Matern, where 2 kg. were seized at Waitschies’ address. The remaining 3 kg. are alleged to have been smuggled back into Germany by Matern. Of this amount, Waitschies gave If kg. each to an unknown Jew and to Jnoks. He had previously declared that he had received a further 2f kg. of cocaine from a Jew at Tauroggen, of which Matern had smuggled 2 kg. into Germany, but he explained later that this 2f kg. had been included in the 5 kg. mentioned above. This statement could not be disputed, but Waitschies had in his possession, a further 200 grammes of cocaine, the origin of which could not be ascertained. On his own confession, he had smuggled these 200 grammes in May 1928 from Memel into Tilsit and in January 1929 they Danzig, where they was seized (see document O.C.294(f), pages 12 and 13). Jnoks and Kuisys smuggled the If kg. of cocaine received from Waitschies from Memel into Germany and brought it to Kônigsberg where they made the acquaintance of Neubauer and gave him 1 kg. 200 gr. to re-sell. The cocaine, which had been packed in a despatch case, was, they claimed, stolen in a Kônigsberg café. It was found, however, that 500 grammes of this amount had been received by a witness named Saturski, who claims to have handed it in January 1928 to his sister, Frau Brosius. The 300 grammes remaining of the If kg. smuggled by Jnoks and Kuisys into Germany were handed over by Jnoks to Puslat for sale in Berlin. Puslat claims that he was swindled out of this cocaine in a Berlin establishment. At the end of 1928, Puslat received from Kuisys a further 100 grammes of cocaine and 560 morphine ampoules. While attempting to dispose of these goods, he was arrested in Berlin in the autumn of 1929 and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment (see document O.C.294f/^, pages 108 and 109). In judging the case against Puslat in respect of the 300 grammes handed to him by Jnoks and Kuisys, the Kônigsberg Court of Assessors came to the conclusion that this was a continuation of the offence for which he had already been sentenced in Berlin, and the charge was therefore with drawn. Matern was acquitted, as sufficient evidence as to his implication in the smuggling of cocaine was not forthcoming. Kuisys and Neubauer are in hiding, but warrants of arrest have been issued. The sentences against Jnoks, Waitschies and Frau Brosius were not given in the report, but it is stated that they have appealed against them. No. 96.—“ Gracovia ” and “ Col di Lana " Gases, Shanghai. See O C. 1315 andl349, The Japanese representative on the Advisory Committee reports and Or ^94 (FebruarY 6th, 1933) that the Japanese consular authorities at Tsingtao ‘ ‘ pa"e " have been unable to trace the firm of Tanaka Yoko, mentioned as the ' °7- consignee for part of the heroin seized in connection with this case. The address given, 58, Shangtun Boad, Tsingtao, is that of a confectioner. The authorities thoroughly investigated these premises and are convinced that there was no connection there with the case in question. It is suggested that the name of Tanaka Yoko was used by the traffickers to conceal the real identity of the persons involved in the case. No 227. —Seizure of Cocaine at Lindau, Germany : Zapf-Niederer Case. Paff°i"q"294^ ’ The German representative on the Advisory Committee reports ^ (March 25th. 1933) that Schmid was sentenced on appeal to three months’ o0/io7. imprisonment and costs. ^■d.N. 57o (F.) 5 4 5 (a.) 5/33.— lmp. Réunies, Chambéry. — 4 — No. 249. —Seizures in Chicago, 111., and Superior, W is., February-March 1931. See O.C.294 f*;, In its annual report for 1931 (pages 30 and 31), the Government of page ~ ■ the United States of America reports that another member of this gan» 1383/157(64). Pat Burkrey, was arrested at Omaha, Neb., with 10 oz. of morphine, which was seized. The following sentences were passed on the persons arrested • Raymond Watson, imprisonment for two years ; Grace Kelly, imprisonment for six months' Higgins Dennison, imprisonment for two years ; Joseph Dominick Condi, imprisonment for ten years ; Lorraine Kirsch, imprisonment for four years. Clarence W. Haggerty (for a previous offence) was sentenced to imprisonment for nine years and six months. He appealed and while awaiting the outcome of his appeal, escaped from jail and is now a fugitive. The judgment appealed from was confirmed. Pat Burkrey, imprisonment for one year and one day. No. 308.—Seizure of Drugs at New York on July 18th, 1931. O.C.23(x) 24, In its annual report for 1931, the Government of the United Stales spp n r 994/7 f nao-Pi 7 °f America reports that Ferrugia escaped conviction upon a legal ’ " ’ " technicality, but the drugs were confiscated. Ferrugia stated that the 1383/157(69). drugs belonged to a person who occasionally shared his apartment, this person being a sailor, who made periodic trips between New York and Italian ports. No. 310.—Seizures in the United States of America on Various Dates between January 13th and July 18th, 1931. O.C.23 (x), 24, page 36. In one of the cases summarised under this heading, a seizure of See O.C.294 page 1 /. morphine at Portland on July 7th, 1931, the person implicated was 1383/157(69). Carmine Napolitano. In its annual report for 1931, the Governmeni of the United Stales of America states that Napolitano was reputed to be the principal source of supply and distributor of narcotic drugs in the State of Maine. He was sentenced to eighteen months’ imprisonment. The drugs were confiscated. No. 311.—Seizure at Chicago 111., May 1931 : Edward Bender (R. F. Heiling) Case. O.C.23(x) 24, page 32. In its annual report for 1931, the Government of the Uniled Stales Spee*s *17~ and i s °/ America states that Bender was arrested at an hotel in Chicago in the pages / an • act of smoking opium. He was found in possession of a wardrobe trunk, 1383/157(68). a suit-case and a handbag which contained a total of 2 kg. 982 gr. (105 oz.) of morphine hydrochloride, 227 grammes (8 oz.) of cocaine hydrochloride, 10 kg. 453 gr. (23 lb.) of raw opium, 435 grammes (10 taels and 2 oz.) of prepared opium and a quantity of dross. Bender stated that he had obtained the drugs from a friend in New York, who delivered them to him on credit with instructions to take them to Chicago for sale.