International Smugglers was a 24-page story which first appeared in issue #58 of the Adventures of Biggles comic series published by Action Comics of Sydney, Australia around June 1957. The drawings were by John Dixon.[1]
The story was later republished in the U.K. by Strato Publications as the first story of issue #9 of their reprinted Adventures of Biggles series. The Strato issue comprised 68 pages also included some non-Biggles stories.
Synopsis[]
Gaskin asks Biggles to help investigate a circle of international smugglers operating all over Europe.
Plot[]
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Biggles is seconded to Gaskin's section to help crack an extensive smuggling ring operating throughout Europe. Although police authorities have arrested many operatives and recovered large quantities of contraband, the keeps going on. They must try to get to the brain that is behind the whole network.
Biggles works on the case for a few weeks with not much progress. Arrests have been made but the poice are not getting any nearer to the "brain" behind the smuggling. Biggles travels to Berlin and spends time at cafes and bars where the smugglers are thought to hang out. At a cafe, he spots two people whom the police suspect are linked to smuggling. Just then, two military policemen enter. Biggles decides to behave "suspiciously" and sneaks out of the cafe the back way, ostensibly to avoid meeting the policemen. The two men notice this and decide to follow him.
Outside the two men approach Biggles. They introduce themselves as Jeanne Rocheman and Johann Fleisher. They offer their services. If Biggles has anything to see, they can help. Biggles shows his briefcase full of dope. This interests the men and they offer to do business. This goes on for a few weeks and then Biggles tells them he is tired of doing the dirty work--he wants to know more about the outfit and who is running the show.
The two men agree and take him to a cafe in Munich. He the proprietor Stefan Heinze rents out a back room which the smuggling gang uses as a meeting place. There Biggles is introduced to some other gang members. That night, Biggles steals into the room to look for evidence but he is caught by the innkeeper Heinze. Biggles bribes him to keep quiet that obviously it doesn't work because the next morning the gang members are up in arms and send Rocheman, Fleisher and a third man Clyne to execute Biggles.
The three men take Biggles to a lake and force him to carry a big boulder to the water's edge. They plan to tie the rock to Biggles and then sink him in the lake. However Biggles drops the boulder which hits one of the men. He snatches up a stone and hurls it at another. He then dives into the water and swims away. Clyne gives chase. He is a strong swimmer and catches up. Biggles is forced to scuffle with him in the water. After a fierce fight, Biggles succeeds in knocking him out. Meanwhile, Rocheman and Fleisher flee in their car. Biggles climbs out of the water and hitchhiks back to Munich.
Biggles meets up with a British intelligence agent named Henri and they plan to take down the gang. As a start, they believe that Heinze is susceptible to being bribed so they pay him off to get them into a room from where they can eavesdrop on the gang in their meeting room. Everything seems to go smoothly at first but then Biggles and Henri overhear the gang saying that "the recent, apparent danger will be removed to-night". Biggles understands that this refers to them. Obviously Heinze has betrayed them again! They are locked in, so Biggles sends Henri out through a window to alert the police (which by pre-arrangment are already waiting outside). The gang members break into Biggles' room Biggles knocks two of them out and barges through the others.
By now Biggles has figured out that the gang leader must be Heinze himself. He and Henri break into a room and find Heinze trying to escape. Heinze draws a gun but Biggles shoots first. forcing him to drop his weapon. Heinze doesn't give up, though. He jumps through a window and attempts to escape by driving off in a car.
Biggles tells the police outside to mop up the gang while he gets into a car to chase after Heinze. Heinze sees that Biggles is catching up and decides that he needs to take the corners faster but this only leads him to run off a cliff at a hairpin bend. The car crashes into the lake and Heinze is drowned.
Characters[]
Scotland Yard and The Special Air Police[]
- Gaskin
- Biggles
Others[]
- Jeanne Rochemann
- Johann Fleisher
- Stefan Heinze
- Clynne
- Henri
Aircraft[]
None! Biggles even takes a train to Berlin!
Places[]
Visited[]
- Berlin
- Munich
Mentioned[]
Research notes[]
Illustrations[]