Border guard : $b The story of the United States Customs ServiceWhitehead, Don
History
Border guard : $b The story of the United States Customs Service
Whitehead, Don
Customs administration -- United States; Smuggling -- United States; United States. Bureau of Customs; United States. Division of Customs
Then came the day when it looked as though the weeks of acting would
pay off. The man who was Mr. Big agreed to sell the agent a large
supply of heroin. That evening they met in an East Side bar and had
a few drinks before going to the place where the delivery was to be
made. The agent insisted on paying for the drinks and then they walked
outside to hail a taxi. Suddenly Mr. Big mumbled something about having
forgotten an important date.
“We can’t get the stuff tonight,” he said. “I’ll see you later.” Mr.
Big ducked into a taxi and that was the last time the agent was ever
able to get within shouting distance of his man.
What had happened? What had gone wrong? Where had the agent made the
false move that blew the case? He reviewed every word that had been
said and every move he had made without finding a clue. He never knew
the answer until months later when Mr. Big finally was trapped by
other agents. He was asked why it was that he had walked out on the
undercover agent that night at the East Side bar.
Mr. Big said, “We had two or three drinks at the bar that night and
everything was fixed to get the stuff. Then this guy insisted on
picking up the tab. He gives the bartender a sawbuck and when he gets
the change he leaves a two-bit tip. Hell, I know right then he’s a
government man because only a government man would leave a lousy
two-bit tip. That’s when I checked out.”
Polcuch knew as small a slip by him or Halvorsen could wreck the case.
While the Chinese was making the telephone calls, he left the table and
strolled over to the window looking out on Clay Street. He saw a panel
truck parked near the entrance and knew the agents were inside.
At last the elderly Chinese hung up the receiver and came to the table.
He said, “You come back at twelve o’clock.”
Polcuch and Halvorsen left the building and whiled away the time
looking in shop windows. When they returned to the clubroom the Chinese
man was still engrossed in his newspaper. He saw them enter the room,
and went immediately to the telephone and dialed a number. There was a
brief conversation in Chinese, after which the old man said, “In five
minutes he come. You wait.”
They sat at the table waiting, and at 12:35 a well-dressed Chinese
entered the room. He wore a neat brown suit and a figured brown tie. He
looked to be a man about fifty years old, and on one pudgy finger he
wore a diamond ring. He smiled as he walked over to shake hands with
Polcuch and Halvorsen.
Halvorsen held out the slip of paper bearing the name Lew Gar Kung Saw.
“Are you this man?” he asked. The Chinese glanced at it and said, “Yes,
yes. That’s my name.” But actually, agents learned later, his real name
was Lew Doo--long suspected of being a trafficker in narcotics.
Lew Doo produced the photograph of Halvorsen and after that the half of
a torn slip of paper bearing the words “San Francisco.” He matched his
half with the half handed to him by Halvorsen.
“Have you got the stuff with you?” he said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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