The New York herald., 1922-07-01
OPIUM RAID REVEALS
GIGANTIC DRUG Ring
Eight Indicted in Plot to
Cheat Customs Out of
S8,4M in Duties.
1890 POUNDS MISSING
Drug Turns Into Paving
Stones Going From New
York to Havana.
POLITICIANS IMPLICATED
Trail May Lead to Million Dol
lar Group in Greece, Cuba
POLITICIANS IMPLICATED

That New York drug circles were
flooded with opium valued at more
than s1,00O000 several months ago
was disclosed yesterday when three
indictments were filed by the Federal
Grand Jury charging the Anchor
Warehouse, Inc, 231 East Forty
seventh street; it's president Morris
De Lucca Isaac J. Eltinger, United
States storekeeper at the warehouse,
and six other persons with participa-
ton in a conspiracy to defraud the
Government out of customs duties on
that amount of drug.
In addition to Eltinger and De
Lucca, those named in the indictment
are: Themis Pavlou, manufacturer
Of embroideries, in business in West
Thirty fourth street and also an i'm
porter Of opium from Greece, out on
$1,000 bail; w. J. Sardo of Havana,
Cuba, out on bail of $4,000; Steve
Valliadis, address unknown, out on
$1,000 bail; Nick Karaca, former pro-
prietor Of the Adelphia Hotel in West
Twenty-third street out on $1,000
bail, and Bernard and Gregorio Uriart.
druggists Of Havana, Cuba, to whom
the opium was supposed to have been
sent.
Surprise Raid in Chinatown.
Unearthing of the widespread conspir-
acy resulted from the efforts of Assist
ant United States Attorney Herman l..
Falh, WHO has been investigating for
three months the activities Of certain
groups Of men, who. according to un-
| derworld information. boasted that they
would free the dope" and spoke of
opium could be obtained.
| On April 5 Government agents con-
nected with the Narcotic Division
swooped down on Chinatown in a sur
prise raid, and among the prisoners they
caught in their net were Sardo, Pavlou.
Valliadis and Karaca. according to Mr.
Falk
| The big hop party" took place in
| Chinatown on the same day that twen-
| ty cases OF opium were supposed to have
been shipped from the Anchor Ware
mouse 10 MEXICO VIA tne OTldTte bTOtH-
ers In Havana. This appeared suspi-
| cious to agents who were making the
raid and orders were forwarded by wire
to watch the shipment at Havana and
| Agent Emmett Kyle was sent hurrying
down to that port.
According to Mr.. Falk. the investiga-
tors ran up against the fact that certain
politicians in the city were allied with
| the alleged members Of the ring dispos-
| ing of the opium, and he stated yes
terday that the names Of several OF
these men may be given soon to the
Grand Jury
Drug Came From Greece.
The twenty case shipment arrived
here from Greece several months ago.
and after having been declared as being
| brought here for re-exportation was
sent to the bonded warehouse. Declar-
ing that It, was to be reshipped to the
Uriarte Brothers. Pavlou got his with
drawal permit to take the twenty case
lot out OF the storehouse.
Somewhere between the storehouse
and the steamer Esperanza. which took
the fake shipment In Havana, the trans
fer of the drugs for the stones and
mortar was made. Mr. Falk believes
that this was done inside the storehouse,
as there would be little opportunity 10
make any substitution after the ship
ment had been taken out. In this con-
nection Eltinger figures, the authorities
say.
AS the opium was brought In under
a declaration that II was to be re-
shipped andInot used for domestic pur-
poses II went free of the usual duty OF
SO per hundredweight which is charged
for opium to be used in this country.
| ha t,, tt,
dictment charges that In making the
fake shipment and actually dispensing
the drug for use here the defendants
have conspired to avoid payment OF the
tax which the Government should re-
ceive on the $500 pounds Of opium.