The Washington times., 1923-02-11

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Returning troops and civilians
from European ports and the
crews OF ocean-going vessels
make up the Atlantic supply sys-
tenn.
On both the Atlantic and Pa
cific coasts. many drug agents
manage to escape the vigilance
OF the customs service inspectors,
especially at the larger ports. Al
though excellent work has been
done by those in authority, there,
nevertheless, has been a steady
flow Of narcotics into the ports
OF the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Ship officers and crews
OF merchantmen form an impor-
tant link in the smuggling sys-
and many are regularly engaged
In this traffic. Many stewards,
porters, maids, and so forth, on
ocean liners, are drug runners
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It Ia known that many of these
runners" are employed by
wealthy interests in American
and foreign countries. From re-
liable sources, it has been dis
closed that several officers and
enlisted men Of the American
forces in Germany have been de-
tected in the act Of smuggling
narcotic drugs; under the protec-
ton of the uniform, many crimi-
nal characters have been hired
to carry on this drug running
system. Mail couriers from the
military bases in Europe have>
been known to smuggle drugs
from the interior to the seaport.
SMUGGLING EASY.
Our long line Of sea coast Of
fers incoming vessels excellent
means for landing smuggled
drugs. A favorite method is to
drop overheard small cases, which
sink to a low level in the water:
these are difficult to discern,
especially at night. Each case
has a float attached and is usu-
ally guarded by q man in q
small boat, who can conveniently
pose as q fisherman or other
harmless river-front character.
Another method is to carry
ashore the contraband drugs
after nightfall, either concealed
on the person or in the clothing.
Well-informed persons say that
the crew Of a vessel may carry
smuggled drugs off the ship after
dark, under the guise Of personal
property. and ordinarily escape
detection.
All the larger seaport cities
along the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts and the Gulf of Mexico
serve as ports of entry for
struggled narcotics. A consider
able quantity of drugs enters via
Canada. through the border towns
and cities. and the traffic also
prevails extensively along the
Mexican border.
AIRPLANES USED.
All forms of transportation ara
utilized in the narcotic drug traf.
fic. from the airplane to the
slowly moving burro. Recently
several cases of aerial drug
smuggling have been brought to
light by the Customs Service.
The long unguarded borders of
Canada and Mexico offer little
obstruction to this traffic. For
some time steady stream of
contraband drugs has been en-
tering this country by burro over
the Mexican border. Small guam
titles are concealed in the harness
or packs of the animals. Re
Gently there was uncovered a
well-organized traffic between Can
ada and New York State. carried
on mainly by young women who
would ordinarily excite little sus-
picion.
After the drugs have been
landed in one of the seaport
cities or have reached a border
town they are conveyed to a
drug cache"
Here, they are divided into
proper form for ''peddling." The
cocaine is divided into small
packages called "decks," each
containing about three-fourths of