Part 5

This precaution seemed reasonable enough to Halvorsen. He handed the two bags to the Javanese, who concealed them under his coat. They returned to the police boat which carried them back to the pier. And then he and Scar Face got into a car and drove to the outskirts of the city, where the car swung into a driveway beside a white frame house.

“This is the doctor’s house,” Scar Face said. “You wait in the car.” He carried the two bags into the house.

In a few minutes Scar Face came back to the car. “The doctor says it will take time to test the heroin. I can’t get the money until he makes the test. I’ll bring it to you tomorrow.”

With appalling innocence, Halvorsen said, “I guess that’s okay.” And as Scar Face drove him back to the waterfront, they agreed to meet on the pier the following morning.

The next day Halvorsen went ashore to meet Scar Face. He waited at the agreed meeting place for more than two hours. Slowly it dawned on him that he would never see Scar Face again. He had been duped. It was then that young Halvorsen felt more than chagrin. He felt enormously ashamed. He wondered why he had ever permitted himself to become involved in something so dishonorable as smuggling narcotics.

He felt, too, a growing, bitter anger toward the wart-eared tailor and his friends in Hong Kong and the scar-faced Javanese. He wondered how he could atone for this sin. And after a while he decided the best thing to do was to seek advice from someone older.

When the Fernhill reached Singapore, Halvorsen hurried to the home of a Norwegian minister whom he had once met in Baltimore. The youth poured out his story to the churchman. “What shall I do?” he asked.

“It is a bad business, my son,” the minister said. “Let me go to the American Consulate and ask their advice. Perhaps they can help us.” When the minister returned from the Consulate, he shook his head. “They can do nothing,” he said, “because the matter is out of their jurisdiction. They said it would be best if you would take your story to the police agency called the FBI when you reach the United States.”

But when Halvorsen reached his ship, he thought of his friend in New York City, the Rev. Leif Aagaard, pastor of the Norwegian Seamen’s Church, 33 First Place, Brooklyn, in whose home he had spent the previous Christmas. On April 11, 1955, he wrote the Reverend Aagaard a long letter:

Dear Aagaard:

Let me get right to the matter. When we were in port in Hong Kong (March 15) I chanced to get in conversation with a tailor who came aboard to take orders. After the usual talk about everyday things he asked if he could get a word with me in private in my cabin. It proved he wanted me to smuggle four pounds of cocaine from Hong Kong to Frisco. I was to get $1,200 from the man I was to deliver the goods to in Frisco. I said Yes!

He gave me an address in Hong Kong where I should come the same evening. There I was to get the necessary information as well as the cocaine. I arrived at the specified time. There a flash photo was taken of me in order that the contact in Frisco could identify me. I also received one half of a letter that was torn in two parts. The photo and the other half was to be sent to Frisco. The half which I retained was to serve as my pass in order to get in contact with these men. I also was given the name and address of the man I was to deliver the cocaine to in Frisco. Afterwards I received eight small sack-like bags made of cotton, each containing one-half pound. They were placed in a brief case which I should bring them aboard in. I did everything they instructed me to do and locked it in my cabin, later to hide it in a safe place. I had, at that time, all intention of doing this rotten job. Later, however, when I had had the time to think more clearly about these things I cursed myself for having wanted to take part in such dirty things. I came to the conclusion that I would throw it all overboard, but at the same time a thought struck me that perhaps I could be of help to the American authorities by getting these people jailed in Frisco. When we arrived in Singapore I contacted Rossebo whom I knew from the time I was ashore in Baltimore. I told him the whole story and he promised to get in contact with the American Consulate there, and in a discreet manner try to find out about same. Now it was found, however, that they could not give any direct answer as to what the American authorities might do to me as a smuggler. They were very much interested, but said that that type of smuggling was something that came under FBI.

Will you now be so kind as to do me the favor of presenting the entire matter before the FBI in New York and say that I am placing myself entirely at their disposal in the case. Let as few as possible in on this. I am afraid that the persons I am dealing with on this are no small fry. I will now seal the goods and declare it on the manifest as four pounds of camphor. This I am doing so as not to have the ship and the captain mixed up in this affair, if it should get that bad. Now I ask that you or the authorities who will handle this matter send me a discreet telegram before May 10, which will assure me that I can safely count on avoiding any trouble from the authorities as a result of my smuggling. If I do not receive the telegram within the specified date, I will throw everything overboard and remove every trace of everything that might implicate me. In case you do not want to have anything to do with the matter, please advise me as soon as possible. Fernhill is scheduled to arrive in Boston May 16th.

Well, now I hope that you will not judge me too harshly and that all will be well again.

Warmest regards to you and your family. Truls Arild Halvorsen

Actually, Halvorsen received ten sacks--but he could not bring himself to admit to Aagaard that he had been swindled of two of the bags in Djakarta.

When the Reverend Aagaard received the letter, he was shocked and dismayed. He remembered young Halvorsen well because the youth had come to his church in Brooklyn when his ship made port there. Aagaard had become so fond of the boy that he had invited him to his home the past Christmas for dinner with his family. He knew he was an intelligent youth and had never before been involved in wrongdoing.

The pastor got in touch with the Norwegian Consul General, Thor Brodtkorb, and the two men arranged a meeting with Supervising Customs Agent Lawrence Fleishman at his office at 21 Varick Street. At this meeting Aagaard and Brodtkorb reviewed the entire case as it had been told to them in the letter by Halvorsen.

After a further discussion with the U.S. District Attorney, it was agreed that if Halvorsen would turn over the narcotics to the master of the Fernhill while the vessel was still on the high seas, then young Halvorsen would avoid prosecution for possession of narcotics--simply because the narcotics would not be in his possession. It was agreed also that if Halvorsen were cooperative there would be no prosecution for conspiracy to smuggle narcotics into the country. The master of the vessel was to be held blameless in this case, since he had known nothing whatever of the smuggling plot, and there were to be no penalties assessed against either him or his vessel once the narcotics were turned over to the Customs officers.

As soon as it was learned that the Fernhill had cleared from Suez on its way through the Canal to the Mediterranean, a cable was dispatched to Halvorsen: ALL IN ORDER HERE. GIVE IT TO THE CAPTAIN.

A representative of the steamship company dispatched a message in international code to the captain of the Fernhill saying:

International signal book code only for the Captain. Confidential. Halvorsen will hand over packages. Keep them safe until arrival Boston. Cooperating with authorities here. Everything in order. Immunity on condition that you handle in accordance herewith. You must not discuss this with anybody else. Wire us following message in code to me: Have acted as per your instructions.

On May 5 the Fernhill’s skipper radioed:

The packages have been placed for safekeeping in the safe until arrival Boston according your instructions. Receiver has photograph of Halvorsen and first half of papers of introduction. Receiver’s address Lew Gar Kung Saw, 854 Clay Street, San Francisco. Consignor Shing Kee and Co., 54 Cameron Road, ground floor, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Signed, Captain Carlson.

Eleven days later Customs Agents Dave Cardoza, Oscar Polcuch and Edward Finnegan boarded a launch on the Boston waterfront and were carried into the harbor to meet the Fernhill. They were greeted by Captain Carlson, who took them to his cabin and handed over to them the sacks of heroin. Then he summoned Halvorsen to his cabin and introduced him to the agents.

Cardoza said, “I understand, Halvorsen, that you are willing to cooperate with us in breaking up this smuggling ring.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help, sir,” Halvorsen said. “I’m sorry I ever got mixed up in this.”

“We need your help,” Cardoza said, “and you have nothing to worry about if you do as we say.” He warned Halvorsen that a member of the smuggling ring might approach him when he went ashore in Boston--and he must do nothing to create any suspicion.