The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-29
20 ARE NABBED
AS LEADERS IN
SWEEPING RAIDS
Millions Involved in Deals of
Separate Combines,
Say U. S. Officials.
LARGE SEIZURES MADE
1000 Ounces of Dope Are
Discovered Billed as
Machinery
LARGE SEIZURES MADE

BIZ United Pros
WASHINGTON, July 29.-Smash-
ing Of five international narcotic
rings and the arrest of twenty ring
leaders who have been transacting
an illegal business estimated at sew
eral million dollars annually. was
announced today by the treasury
department.
The rings have been importing
morphine and heroin from Turkey
into New York and have shipped it
through the east, treasury officials
said. The investigation by treasury
agents covered two months and was
described as zone hundred per cent
efficient" in breaking up the inter
national combination.
The most important OF the five
rings. the treasury said, was headed
by Tony Laptino. son of an Italian
nobleman. who operated from
Long Island and was known as
Black Tony of the East.
Single shipments of his organiza-
ton, activities of which rival a flc-
tional narrative, have been valued
at a million dollars, according to
Harry J. Anslinger, acting chief Of
the narcotic bureau.
Prominent Italian
Another important ring. the
treasury said, reached down to Nor
folk. Va, and was headed by Boss"
VesSasce, who, Anslinger said, is
prominent in Italian circles in Nor
folk.
Another ring was headed by Sam
Ferera of New York, who was ar
rested in Washington Saturday. Two
companions we're arrested with him.
They had sixty ounces Of heroin in
their possession when arrested.
J. F. Swinford, alias J. A. Kin
caid. of New York. was arrested as
the leader of another ring. When
trapped, Swinfortl was preparing to
make a large morphine shipment to
the Pacific coast, treasury officials
said.
Others arrested included L. j.
Williams of New York, and frankie
Fields, who was said to have been
operating as an independent drug
peddler in Wilmington, Delaware.
Seize 1000 Ounces
Arrests of the ring leaders was
preceded by the seizure Saturday of
1000 ounces from the steamer
mako, of the Black Diamond line.
The narcotics had been billed as
electrical machinery by agents of
the ring abroad.
The two-month investigation was
directed by ]. H. Manning. narcotic
agent of New York, assisted by j. B.
GreeSon of headquarters here.
Treasury agents working on the
case reSorted to ali sorts of ruseS
to run the ring down. Three agents
obtained admission to the ranks of
the dope sinugglers and obtained
detailed information about their
operations.
To Washington detective, r. A.
Sanders. goes the credit for the tip
of" which led TO uncovering the
widespread activities of the ring and
the roundup and arrest announced
today.
Treasury officials believe the mar
cotic organiza tons have been oper-
ating on vast scale for some years,
shipping their drugs into this coun-
try by devious methods and in the
liners of all nations.
The specimens usually were billed
as ordinary merchandise and in
New York were replaced by the
goods described in the bill of lad
ing. This substitution in New York
was done when the narcotics were
transferred by truck from vessels to
trains for shipment elsewhere.