Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-26
SMUGGLING Ring
MAY HAVEBEEN
OPERATING HERE

That the arrest of an opium snug
Cling "hui" in San Francisco February
Is by customs men of that port may
throw some light on the identity OF
the party who attempted to smuggle
400 tins OF opium into, this port on
the Matson steamer Manoa recently,
the shipment. however. being seiZed
By the customs inspectors before *
could be taken Off the wharf, Is be
lieTed here today
According 10 the San Francisco
Chronicle OF February 10, the ring,
the branches Of which are said 10
spread like the spokes of wheel TO
every part OF the United States, Mex
| leo, Honolulu and the Orient, was un
earthed the day previous by Capt.
Joseph Head of the United States Gus
toms service, working under the direc-
tons of Surveyor " the Port Justus
Wardell.
"A German banker of Mexico City,
saws the Chronicle, whose name the
authorities have withheld for interna-
tional reasons, and wealthy MeXl-
can. who is under arrest, are said to
head the ring.
Typed Code Employed
messages between members OF the
group were carried on in typewriter
code to avoid detection, and other
like methods were used TO keep the
federal officers from discovering the
illegal trafficking A mass Of the
coded messages has been found and
customs officers are now attempting
to decipher. them.
New arrests are expected here
momentarily and last night Wardels
wired to Washington TO take up the
case of the German banker in Mexico
City, who has been manufacturing the
opium, with the Mexican authorities.
Mardell said yesterday that he had
information that the banker had go
coo cases of opium stored in Mexico
City and he would ask the treasury
department to request the Mexican
officials to seize the drug
One Member confesses
"One of the members of the ring
confessed to Wardell yesterday and
laid bare the workings of the ring.
Agents of the smugglers, according to
the confession, are located in Hong.
kong, Honolulu. Ell Paso. Mazatlan,
San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Chi
cago and New York
Federal inspectors headed by Capt
Head John Toland and E. +. Enlow
of Special Agent Tidwell's office,
raided the Chinese mercantile firm OF
Tsue Chong Wing & Co., 737 Washing
ton street, late yesterday in an effort
TO find a quantity of the drug said
to be concealed in the store. The
member of the ring who confessed
told Surveyor Wardell that the Wing
Company was the distributor for the
drug here. After searching up to
late hour last night nothing had been
revealed.
Two Under Arrest +
Jose DeIsardo, a wealthy Mexican,
who formerly stopped at the Palace
Hotel, and Ng Hee. Chinese, have
already been arrested as being impli-
Gated in the ring. Delsardo is said
to have made arrangements for the
operation of the ring with the Ger
man banker in Mexico City more than
six months ago. Delsardo, it is al
legged, lately assumed the name of r.
]. CASTILLO, and has lived in down
town apartment house.
"Following the seizure Of 400 cans
Of opium at Honolulu recently, Capt.
Head picked up a lead on the ring IN
this city. His vigilance was rewarded
last Saturday night, when he saw a
man pass 20. cans of opium to Del
sardo at Post and Mason street. Del
sardo, Head says. took the drug to
Suffer and Mason streets, and turned
IL over to Ng Hee.'