Evening star., 1925-07-12
GENEVA IS CENTER
OF HUGE DRUG RING
Illicit Traffic TotaIing Millions
Carried on Under Nose of
Opium Conference.

By Radio to The Star and New York World.
GENEVA, July 1.-THE existence
of huge international syndicate deal
ing in millions of dollars worth of
heroin, cocaine and morphine, and
operating at Geneva, Basle, Genoa
and Constantinople during the months
that the opium conference was in
session, was revealed in a document
received at League of Nations head
quarters today from the British for
eign office.
The international character of the
syndicate is shown by it's connection
with citizens of Switzerland, Germany,
Great Britain, Persia Japan, China,
Russia and Turkey. Also, several
German and Swiss drug firms are in
volved. The documents, which were
seized by the British secret service
and sent to the league opium board,
name four prominent Basic and Stutt-
CART firms as suppliers of the opiates.
The narcotics are now clearing, ac-
cording to the document, through Co
penhagen and Genoa for China. Sin
gle orders of opium amounting to as
much as l80 cases, valued at millions
OF dollars, are being loaded at Stam-
boul.
Conference Boosted Price.
The document names the Hoffman
Laroche Company, the Burckhardt
Walters Company, and the MacDon-
ala Company as firms which have
supplied narcotics to the syndicate. 1t
Is also stated that the II. NJ H. Ne
maze Company, Persian brokers, and
Vahabon Freres, Constantinople, are
furnishing unlimited opium to Per
sia, Turkey and Macedonia.
The syndicate's chief representative
living a
international opium conference was at
work here attempting to curb the
trade in opiates, quoted heroin at S2l5
an ounce December % last from
Geneva. He offered, according to the
document, to supply 5000 ounces.
adding that the prices were shooting
up and indicating to drug houses that
the conference had caused the in
creased price. The document declares:
Correspondence shows a keen inter
est was evidenced by these drug firms
in the activities of the League OF Ma
tons and the result of the opium con
ference"
Ship on Chartered Vessels.
The Italian government co-operated
with the British in tracing the origin
OF the drugs. A letter to the secre-
tary general of the league from the
NASIi oAoA . OjlICS dI 1(Ome, dated
May 20, states: Projects records
show that 26 cases consigned as syn
thetic drugs entered Italy from Switz-
eriand via Chiasso, ACCOMPANIED by
proper waybills and customs receipts.
They We're loaded on a Japanese
steamer destined for Vladivostok."
The syndicate evades the difficulties
entailed by the dispatch of drugs
through the usual channels bv char
tering ships, and also uses the parcel
post. Agents We're equipped with
forged passports. The svndicate's
capital was seemingly unlimited, seven
Geographic money orders totaling
Sl9S,276, being paid to a single Basic
flrm for 455 pounds of heroin through
the Banque Beige Pour Etrangers.
Traffic on Increase.
The disclosures contained in the
document will be submitted to the ad-
Vlsory commission on the traffic IN
opium and dangerous drugs. meeting
at Geneva August "a The American
representatives, viii return for that
meeting. 1t is generally agreed. fol-
lowing the receipt of the British doc
ument, that the narcotic traffic is in
creasing rather than decrea sing. and
that the League of Nations and others
interested in curbing the traffic are
helpless without drastic international
regulations and cooperation.
Copyright. 1929