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SMUGGLING.
28. Interference with freedom of purchase of prepared opium
would undoubtedly give an impetus to smuggling.
29. The preventive work done in the Colony of the Straits
Settlements (i.e., in the ports of Singapore and Penang) is practically
the only safeguard against smuggling into Malaya. At present
the seizures of smuggled opium (both raw and prepared) are
relatively small, though the seizures of prepared opium in 1923
show a considerable increase over those of previous years.
30. Returns of seizures in recent years are set out in Ap'pendil(
XVI. The amout of raw opium seized in 1923 was 260 KIlos and
of prepared opium 1,115 Kilos, but it is admitted by the Government
Monopolies Department that this onlv represents a small
portion of the amount actually smuggled into the country.
31. Under freedom of purchase there is no incentive to smuggling
from artificial prices for the illicit article; the smuggler must
compete against the local price of licit opium. But under restricted
purcp.ase the illicit article must come more into demand, and thus
give an additional incentive to evasions of the preventive laws.
32. The question of an adequate and efficient preventive service
is, therefore, of paramount importance, as long as there are sources
of supply of illicit opium from which the smuggler can draw without
undue difficulty or expense.
33. We are informed by the Superintendent, Government
Monopolies, Straits Settlements, tbat the great majority of the
seizures in 1923, were effected on ships arriving fr