FIRST EDITION (No dustjacket)

Biggles attends an International Police Conference in Paris and meets Eddie Ross, a policeman from the United States. Eddie has major concerns about drug trafficking in the United States where the problems include teenagers being hooked on drugs by being supplied them in chocolate. Biggles warns Eddie that his speech at the conference will draw the attention of the drug gangs to him and indeed, as they speak, Biggles concludes that Eddie is being followed. With the help of Marcel Brissac and Ginger, the tables are turned and their stalker becomes the one under surveillance. Ginger follows the man by taxi to a bar called “The Horse that Laughs”. Here Ginger is doped and interrogated by a gang of villains. Biggles and Eddie, having ascertained Ginger’s whereabouts from the taxi driver, go to the bar. Biggles bursts into the office where Ginger is being held in order to rescue him. The timely arrival of Marcel prevents things getting out of hand. Meanwhile, Eddie follows an Egyptian by the name of Alfondez, who is suspected of being the carrier of heroin. Eddie follows Alfondez all the way to Marseilles where Alfondez boards a ship called the Saphos. Biggles returns to England to get a suitable amphibian aeroplane and pick up Bertie (Algy being on leave). Biggles then takes everybody in the plane to follow the ship to its destination. Bertie has the idea of getting on board the ship by being set adrift in a dinghy in the ship’s path. This is done, but when the ship docks at a Greek island, Bertie is held prisoner in a Monastery that the drug gang is using to manufacture their drugs. Biggles lands the plane on the other side of the island and leaving Marcel with the plane, he sets off with Ginger and Eddie to find Bertie. Bertie is traced to the Monastery and he is rescued. Finding the drugs factory, Eddie sets it on fire. In order to complete the job they then go down to the harbour and set fire to the Saphos, as this ship is being used to smuggle the drugs.

pp. 158 (Name on fep and number on rear pd.) A very sound copy #291223