The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-19
{. AGENTS
UNCOVER
SCHEME
Narcotics Worth Thousands
Can Be Sent Into U. S.,
For PeddIers.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.

BY GEURGE FRANKLIN.
Box kites are being used effec-
lively in smuggling dope across
the Comedian border, according to
information reaching Government
J agents here.
Col. Will Beach, head of the
narcotic force with headquarters
!. at Chicago, it is said, discovered
!, evidence Of the employment of
= these lightest Of aerial craft by
drug runners.
Devise New Method.
In the use of box kites, narcotic
agents concede, the dope interests
have evolved one of the cleverest
methods of smuggling narcotics into
the United States so far devised by
them. With the present force of
agents 1t will be almost impossible
Tor the Government to cope with
the situation thus presented. This
is the opinion Of men who know
the borders, especially that along
the~C Canadian line.
For several weeks, it Is under
stood, Government agents have OBJ
served an ever-increasing number
Of kites flown from the Canadian
side OF the river opposite Detroit,
crossing over onto the American
side. It was noted they generally
promised to land somewhere along
st. Claire flats, north of Detroit.
Two of the escaped, or freed kites,
were found by Government agents
before they could be located by the
dope agents expecting them. Fail
ure to capture the latter is ascribed
k1VS. rwf~
agents find. Each of the kites car
ried q cargo of narcotics estimated
TO be worth more than $1,000.
In discussing the discovery of
the latest method employed by drug
smugglerS to land narcotics in the
United States, Federal agents point
to its simplicity as well as to its in
expensive character.
Box kites can be constructed at
. cost of less than 81 apiece" said
an agent who has studied the situa-
ton since the capture OF the two
Detroit kites.
Its success depends upon but
two things, the wind and the ca.
pacity of the kite TO maintain its
flight swhiie sinking slowly. This
has been accomplished, it seems. by
attaching to the kite a set Of mus.
lin planes which become extended
as the kite shows a tendency to
drop. They steady its fall, and
make It possible, in anything like
driving wind, for it to travel sew
eral miles before coming to the
ground.
'Of course. the altitude at which
the kite is released is another fac
tor, but 1t is fair 10 presume that
the men freeing them have studied
that and are competent to estimate
accurately the necessary elevation
with given wind for reaching an
Appropriated locality
An advantage enjoyed by the dope
agents in using the box kite, it is
pointed out, lies in the difficulty of
convicting anyone as responsible for
the flight or as expecting the ar
rival of the kite.
The fact that man is found in
the vicinity of where a kite falls
cannot. in itself, be construed as
sufficient evidence Of his connec-
ton with the drug trade to warrant
arrest. The same, it is pointed out,
Is true of the men on the sending
side of the border.
Incidentally it was noted that
box kites may be carried knocked
down to be assembled wherever it
was decided to start the flight.
Observation Of the probable landing
place Of the Kite. it was pointed out,
could be made by airplane or from
any point with a commanding view
of the section.
A large, double box kite has a
sustaining power which admits of
the carrying of considerable
weight. Estimated in heroin value,
Il il said, this amountg to thousands
of dollars.
Discovery of the box kite flivvers
furnishes an explanation to the
finding of narcotics by narcotic
agents in localities where no dis
coyeries OF the kind were previously
expected.