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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 2. 13th March 1974

The Vice Squad Strikes!

The Vice Squad Strikes!

An early morning raid on a city flat by the Wellington Vice Squad resulted in two smashed-in doors and the police removing $740 without leaving a receipt

Head of the Drug Investigation Bureau, and three of his cronies raided a Hopper Street flat at 6.15 last Thursday morning with a search warrant made out for lysergide.

The problem of two locked bedroom doors (one was occupied) was solved with a couple of hefty kicks. The girl asleep in one of the locked bedrooms was not given time to get up and open the door.

After a two hour search, and a number of sarcastic comments from members of the flat, asked if there was a hammer in the house. He was given one which he handed to one of his inferiors who made a weak attempt to nail one of the door frames back in. The other was left in a splintered condition. Neither can now be locked or shut properly.

In the locked but unoccupied bedroom, the police found $740. They took this money 'because it is a large sum and it might be stolen'. They said when the money's owner returned to Wellington he could go to the Central Police Station to claim it.

One of the Vice Squad, Detective said he would give members of the flat a note in his name for the money.

This consisted of the words 'Detective Sergeant Wellington Central Police Station'. No mention of the money.

The members of the flat who were there weren't permitted to count the money or see it, so the squad could have taken more. A request for a proper receipt was refused.

No arrests were made and as far as the occupants know, only a packet of herbal tobacco, a water pipe and the money was taken.