Drug mules

[Viking Warrior]

Peru drug arrests: Women 'forced into cocaine trafficking'

 

I don't know what to make about those lasses who have been caught taking drugs out of Peru back to Spain . There's quite a media frenzy in Scotland jumping on the fact they are innocent bandwagon

They were on holiday in Ibiza . Sorry if your going there on holiday you will no all about the night life

 

The next think you find yourself on a flight to Peru

First they say they did not know they were carrying anything and change their story to say they were forced to carry something at gun point but did not know what they were carrying

 

I don't know what story to believe maybe they are innocent drug mules

 

What do others think .theres enough media coverage about being used to carry drugs . We're these two totally innocent or knowingly involved ?

I am undecided . But the Scottish media are pushing the totally innocent and we must feel sorry for them strand

[OldNick]

the security at the airports must be lax if they travelled at gunpoint.

I do think the girls were either guillible/greedy/chancers. I suspect they knew what the were doing and fell for the 'we'll get away with it' mistake.

[Lazlo78]

Drug mule

 

[hypochondriac]

the security at the airports must be lax if they travelled at gunpoint.

I do think the girls were either guillible/greedy/chancers. I suspect they knew what the were doing and fell for the 'we'll get away with it' mistake.

 

If it had been two blokes we wouldn't have heard anything.

[Hatch]

of course they fully knew what they were doing

 

One of the instagram a picture of them leaving for Peru with the hashtag #mightnotcomeback.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

If it had been two blokes we wouldn't have heard anything.

 

I agree.

 

I also wonder if the missing 13 year old in the news lately had been a boy, whether that story too would have received quite the same amount of coverage.

[dubai_phil]

Yeah easy mistake to make that one isn't it.

 

Ryanair to Luton or Iberia to Lima (with a change in mainland Spain)

 

No chance to make a phone call or talk to an airport security guard or aircrew staff to ask for help.

 

If anything this tale makes them near misses for the next batch of Darwin Awards.

 

At least they COULD have tried the "Family Member Death Threat Blackmailed" line that is proving unsuccessful in a true case of coercion in Bali.

 

It's not as if airport Check in staff (or online check in) doesn't ask you SECURITY questions about your baggage - Did you pack your bag yourself?

 

In some ways they appear to be more suited to having come from poorsmuff. Hey look at us ain't we cool innit. Oh we's in trouble it aint our fault come and get us out of it we haves rights we's got mates on benefits so government owes us.

[CB Saint]

There was a chap on the radio last night who spent 10 months in a Peruvian nick because unbeknown to him, the lad he was travelling with was a mule. So conceivably one of these girls could be innocent. I don't buy the gunpoint story at all, tho'.

[Viking Warrior]

In my original post , I thought I would just open a discussion. But I serioulsy do not believe their story,

As Phil says , the check in desk would have asked security questions , If they were nervous or apprehensive when responding then the security bods would have noticed.

 

I do believe they knew what they were doing . Had they got away with it, I bet they would have enjoyed spending the extra cash they would have recieved

 

I dont think they are gullible jusdging by M Reids Fathers comments , if anything the opposite applies

 

William, 51, backed Melissa’s version of events that she was was acting against her will – and that she was ordered at gunpoint to carry the bags.

 

As they agonised over whether to fly out to Peru to be by their daughter’s side, William described the hell they had been through since news of her arrest broke on Saturday.

 

He thought fun-loving Melissa had been enjoying the sunshine with friends in Ibiza.

 

Instead, she was thousands of miles away in South America.

 

At his smart £400,000 detached villa in Lenzie, near Glasgow, he said: “Our family are going through a living *nightmare. We haven’t slept since we found out.”

 

He described his daughter as “bright, *beautiful, bubbly and intelligent, just like her Facebook page shows”.

[hutch]

I've always assumed that most mules are addicts who have run up bills they can't pay. Just an opinion.

[Viking Warrior]

I wonder if they ever watched the film It's All Gone Pete Tong

 

Also why would you take packets of quaker oats porridge and rice back to spain. YOu can buy them over there

[scotty]

Don't suppose we'll ever know the whole story. I'm a bit sceptical myself tbh, but like all these things its easy to be judgemental while not in possession of the facts. My initial reaction was "they look like a right pair of council house scratters so they probably knew what they were doing," then thought "hang on, I know f*ck all about them, and their story might be true for all I know."

[Saint Mikey]

Don't suppose we'll ever know the whole story. I'm a bit sceptical myself tbh, but like all these things its easy to be judgemental while not in possession of the facts. My initial reaction was "they look like a right pair of council house scratters so they probably knew what they were doing," then thought "hang on, I know f*ck all about them, and their story might be true for all I know."

 

There's no place for objectivity on this forum, scotty. Get with the programme!

[hypochondriac]

Don't suppose we'll ever know the whole story. I'm a bit sceptical myself tbh, but like all these things its easy to be judgemental while not in possession of the facts. My initial reaction was "they look like a right pair of council house scratters so they probably knew what they were doing," then thought "hang on, I know f*ck all about them, and their story might be true for all I know."

 

Yeah pretty much that. If they are telling the truth then they were still pretty dumb to go through with it and not alert someone.

[COMEONYOUREDS]

what i dont understand is why they didnt report it to the authorities at the airport if they had been threatened? hardly likely to be gunned down in the middle of the departures lounge

[Minsk]

what i dont understand is why they didnt report it to the authorities at the airport if they had been threatened? hardly likely to be gunned down in the middle of the departures lounge

 

Indeed.

[bpsaint]

There was a chap on the radio last night who spent 10 months in a Peruvian nick because unbeknown to him, the lad he was travelling with was a mule. So conceivably one of these girls could be innocent. I don't buy the gunpoint story at all, tho'.

 

Saw a documentary about him a month or so ago about a bloke in a similar situation, poor bastard got seriously stitched up by the woman he was with who was a mule to pay off a loan shark. Those girls knew exactly what they were doing, not buying any of their "we're innocent" crap. They felt the persuasion of the money they could make and now they're paying for it.

[Jack]

Very obvious where it's gone wrong. Young girls go to Ibiza to work, money is crap for 6/7 days work a week. A LOT of workers in Ibiza sell drugs on the side to earn a bit more, obviously meeting suppliers on the way. They get them on board with some money up front and promises of loads of money on return, gullible young girls agree, then try to transport the stuff in probably the most stupid of ways. 2 young girls, carrying luggage with 'food packets' on a flight to Western Europe - might as well walk through the airport with a 'drug mule' t-shirt on.

[Saint in Paradise]

what i dont understand is why they didnt report it to the authorities at the airport if they had been threatened? hardly likely to be gunned down in the middle of the departures lounge

 

Yes I also found that a bit odd. Mind you they might use the excuse that their families

would be attacked if they had blabbed to the airport cops.

[Toadhall Saint]

Read forget you had a daughter - its about Thailand but same type of thing.

[Spudders]

might as well walk through the airport with a 'drug mule' t-shirt on.

I like the sound of these T-shirts, I often get stopped by airport security for 'random' searches, so I might get one of these to see if it has some sort of reverse psychology effect & I don't get stopped!

[RedAndWhite91]

Been to Ibiza the past couple of summers, judging by what you see and hear out there, reckon these girls clearly knew what was going on. Jack is spot on in his post.

[toofarnorth]

If you've ever been to Lima Airport there is no way you would think you could get away with this unless you were very stupid. Baggage reclaim/checkin was marshalled by loads of police all with dogs.

 

Very odd story they've come out with.

[Turkish]

More people die from alcohol and tobacco than they do from cocaine, ecstasy and weed. I really don't see the problem.

[pap]

More people die from alcohol and tobacco than they do from cocaine, ecstasy and weed. I really don't see the problem.

 

We're spending a ton of cash on an unwinnable war so that we can collectively say "we don't approve", even though loads of us do.

 

Per figures. Most ecstasy deaths in one year in UK is eight (. 33k people died the same year on booze.

[Downthe36]

We're spending a ton of cash on an unwinnable war so that we can collectively say "we don't approve", even though loads of us do.

 

Per figures. Most ecstasy deaths in one year in UK is eight (. 33k people died the same year on booze.

 

And chances are what they actually took wasn't even ecstacy, as is so often the problem.

 

Going back to the original story, I just can't believe the dumbass that gave these two clowns that much coke to take back, in a concealment that poor, it clearly was never going to make it. His bullet riddled body is probably swinging from a tree somewhere.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Pointing out that many more people die from drink rather than drug abuse in this country is both statistically accurate and reasonable. Attempting to employ that statistic to ague that potentially harmful recreational drug use should therefore be legalised is however a non sequitur. Better surely to argue that the terrible suffering cause to so many by alcoholism proves we should redouble our efforts to treat that addiction problem does it not?

 

It does not follow that just because one particular Human activity is relatively less harmful to society than another, we should therefore ignore the obvious public health issues, abandon all restrictions and allow a 'free-for-all' situation to arise as regards to drug abuse. I ask anyone on here with children in their care whether they would really be perfectly happy to see narcotics become even more easily accessible to them?

 

The rebellious and self destructive elements of Human nature being what they are, the war against drugs may never be won - I'm not even sure the term 'war' is the right analogy anyway. But a alternate policy of unconditional surrender doesn't seem all that attractive either does it ...

[Whitey Grandad]

If you've ever been to Lima Airport there is no way you would think you could get away with this unless you were very stupid. Baggage reclaim/checkin was marshalled by loads of police all with dogs.

 

Very odd story they've come out with.

 

Exactly. And surely it must have been suspicious that two teenage girls suddenly hop over to Peru for a few days? Basic profiling would have flagged them.

[dubai_phil]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2396280/Duped-drug-mule-friend-eyed-villain-Peru-girls-Ibiza-link-fraudster-blinded-feud-notorious-Goldfinger-gangster.html

 

Sometimes you wonder whether it really is worth trying to educate every single person on the planet.

 

Some brains may simply be empty.

 

Unfortunately, being thick has never seemed to be a very valid defence in Drug Cases

 

Not least the so called fraudster who can't even spell properly:)

[Batman]

IMO, they knew what they were doing. Maybe not the extent but they knew

they were working in Ibiza, got involved with some lads who are/think they are big time. and here they are

[Hatch]

There is a piece on one of the papers today interviewing people working on the island, and they say that there is no need to kidnap people to smuggle drugs as there are hundreds out there who would do it willingly.

[Minsk]

More people die from alcohol and tobacco than they do from cocaine, ecstasy and weed. I really don't see the problem.

 

More people are killed in the UK with knives than guns each year. I guess, by your reasoning, we should be more like the States and all bee allowed to go around toting side-arms......

[Turkish]

More people are killed in the UK with knives than guns each year. I guess, by your reasoning, we should be more like the States and all bee allowed to go around toting side-arms......

 

What utter drivel. People will happily go out for a pint or a glass of wine, yet they are only bad for you, yet if someone got out a gram of Charlie and started chopping up a line there would be uproar, neither of them do you any good but one people have been conditioned to believe is totally normal and the other a taboo. The fact is there are far more people out there with drink to issues than drug issues.

[aintforever]

What utter drivel. People will happily go out for a pint or a glass of wine, yet they are only bad for you, yet if someone got out a gram of Charlie and started chopping up a line there would be uproar, neither of them do you any good but one people have been conditioned to believe is totally normal and the other a taboo. The fact is there are far more people out there with drink to issues than drug issues.

 

So the fact that society can't seem to handle one legal drug means it makes sense to make all the others more easily accessible. Great line of thought there.

[View From The Top]

So the fact that society can't seem to handle one legal drug means it makes sense to make all the others more easily accessible. Great line of thought there.

 

Well the status quo clearly hasn't worked.

[holepuncture]

 

A shame IMO, that will be reminiscent of a smahed cornish pasty by the time she resurfaces...

 

Like others have said, if they were male (of the similar age), we wouldnt have heard anything, Lima on its own averages a mule a day, that they catch..

 

It looks like they got caught up in the party life and got too close to the dealers, who would see them as nothing but expendable.

 

They wouldnt have had to kidnap white western girls (especially British ones with our media) to be mules, no way.

 

I like the theory of the double cross by the dealers... whilst the two girls were getting busted, the real mules and smugglers slipped through (though £1.5m seems a bit of a punt? I supose its worthless until it gets to market).

 

I also suspect the girls thought it would be 1kg (when being sold the dream 'you can live in Ibiza forever/set for life in the sun' & calculating their risk), not ten times that amount..

 

Good luck to them.

[get_rich]

Excellent BBC 3 documentary about Peru's status as the new cocaine capital, goes behind the scenes of the production in the rainforest, interview with a convicted drug mule from Southend is very interesting too. Well worth a watch: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b038mb03/Cocaine_Capital_of_the_World_Stacey_Dooley_Investigates/

[Charlie Wayman]

First instincts are usually right

[Downthe36]

A friend of mine lived in Ecuador and Columbia for several years, like others have said above she reckons there is no way on earth you are getting anything out of those airports unless someone is paid off. Chances are the right person wasn't paid, you don't entrust that kind of money in something unless you are fairly certain it's getting out.

[Turkish]

Its all controlled anyway, the old bill turn a blind eye to a certain amount 'slipping' through.

Edited 20 August, 2013 by Turkish

[dubai_phil]

Its all controlled anyway, the old bill turn a blind eye to a certain amount 'slipping' through.

 

Gotta keep their own supply lines open after all.

 

Would be the cynic's take on that

[Saint-scooby]

Very obvious where it's gone wrong. Young girls go to Ibiza to work, money is crap for 6/7 days work a week. A LOT of workers in Ibiza sell drugs on the side to earn a bit more, obviously meeting suppliers on the way. They get them on board with some money up front and promises of loads of money on return, gullible young girls agree, then try to transport the stuff in probably the most stupid of ways. 2 young girls, carrying luggage with 'food packets' on a flight to Western Europe - might as well walk through the airport with a 'drug mule' t-shirt on.

 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ccb_1376922275

[pap]

Pointing out that many more people die from drink rather than drug abuse in this country is both statistically accurate and reasonable. Attempting to employ that statistic to ague that potentially harmful recreational drug use should therefore be legalised is however a non sequitur. Better surely to argue that the terrible suffering cause to so many by alcoholism proves we should redouble our efforts to treat that addiction problem does it not?

 

It does not follow that just because one particular Human activity is relatively less harmful to society than another, we should therefore ignore the obvious public health issues, abandon all restrictions and allow a 'free-for-all' situation to arise as regards to drug abuse. I ask anyone on here with children in their care whether they would really be perfectly happy to see narcotics become even more easily accessible to them?

 

The rebellious and self destructive elements of Human nature being what they are, the war against drugs may never be won - I'm not even sure the term 'war' is the right analogy anyway. But a alternate policy of unconditional surrender doesn't seem all that attractive either does it ...

 

Concluding that we might be committing unconditional surrender is an odd position for someone who is doubtful about the so-called "war on drugs". There is no war on drugs. Never has been. The term was an American invention, used to justify mandatory term sentences.

 

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-big-business-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/8289

 

This is how the leader of the free societies winds up with the biggest prison population in the world. whichever way you fancy slicing it.

 

I think there is a case to be made in comparison with alcohol. When was the last time you heard of an alcohol turf war, or a kid being caught in the crossfire of a gun-battle run by booze runners? The last time people were locked up for distributing alcohol? While I'm sure HMRC have nicked people for dodging duty, you have to go back to 1930s prohibition America to get the set. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol, so it was eventually brought to an end, despite the public health or social issues it caused.

 

Now if alcohol is legal, and kills 33K people in a year, then we should look at other substances on a case by case basis, particularly as many are far less harmful and that our present system criminalises people who don't fancy a beer at the end of the night.

[aintforever]

Concluding that we might be committing unconditional surrender is an odd position for someone who is doubtful about the so-called "war on drugs". There is no war on drugs. Never has been. The term was an American invention, used to justify mandatory term sentences.

 

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-prison-industry-in-the-united-states-big-business-or-a-new-form-of-slavery/8289

 

This is how the leader of the free societies winds up with the biggest prison population in the world. whichever way you fancy slicing it.

 

I think there is a case to be made in comparison with alcohol. When was the last time you heard of an alcohol turf war, or a kid being caught in the crossfire of a gun-battle run by booze runners? The last time people were locked up for distributing alcohol? While I'm sure HMRC have nicked people for dodging duty, you have to go back to 1930s prohibition America to get the set. Prohibition didn't work with alcohol, so it was eventually brought to an end, despite the public health or social issues it caused.

 

Now if alcohol is legal, and kills 33K people in a year, then we should look at other substances on a case by case basis, particularly as many are far less harmful and that our present system criminalises people who don't fancy a beer at the end of the night.

 

But surely the fact that so many people die from a drug that has been made legal means legalising other damaging drugs is a dumb idea?

 

In my opinion the harder it is to get any drug the better. When I was a kid the fact that drugs were illegal definitely stopped me doing them, and it's young people who should be protected the most.

Edited 20 August, 2013 by aintforever

[pap]

But surely the fact that so many people die from a drug that has been made legal means legalising other damaging drugs is a dumb idea?

 

It's a personal choice issue for me. As long as people don't harm others by doing so, I've no problem with what they want to put into their own bodies. Problem is, the criminalisation of illegal drugs means that its almost impossible to partake without propping up some grubby criminal enterprise doing who knows what to retain control of their markets. People moan about cannabis farms, but that's got to be one of the simplest markets going. Pay for power, grow weed and sell it. No-one gets hurt. That's the fluffy end of the scale. I appreciate that it's a lot worse at the other end; which is all the more reason to take exploitative criminals out of the loop.

 

In the specific case of ecstasy, I'd argue that making it legal would absolutely make it safer. The Netherlands have never recorded an ecstasy death. That's because their politicians confronted the issue and decided that ensuring no-one got hurt was the priority. They educated people on the dangers of over-hydration, put legislation in place to ensure that nightclubs had proper ventilation and carry testing kits for purity. That's a clear example of how legality/decriminalisation and acknowledgement can work together for the public good.

 

Also, I wonder what the coppers on here would prefer. A town full of p!ss-heads, or a town full of loved up clubbers

[aintforever]

It's a personal choice issue for me. As long as people don't harm others by doing so, I've no problem with what they want to put into their own bodies. Problem is, the criminalisation of illegal drugs means that its almost impossible to partake without propping up some grubby criminal enterprise doing who knows what to retain control of their markets. People moan about cannabis farms, but that's got to be one of the simplest markets going. Pay for power, grow weed and sell it. No-one gets hurt. That's the fluffy end of the scale. I appreciate that it's a lot worse at the other end; which is all the more reason to take exploitative criminals out of the loop.

 

In the specific case of ecstasy, I'd argue that making it legal would absolutely make it safer. The Netherlands have never recorded an ecstasy death. That's because their politicians confronted the issue and decided that ensuring no-one got hurt was the priority. They educated people on the dangers of over-hydration, put legislation in place to ensure that nightclubs had proper ventilation and carry testing kits for purity. That's a clear example of how legality/decriminalisation and acknowledgement can work together for the public good.

 

Also, I wonder what the coppers on here would prefer. A town full of p!ss-heads, or a town full of loved up clubbers

 

The problem with allowing everyone 'personal choice about what they stick in their bodies is fine except for the fact that society ends up having to pick up the pieces when it goes wrong.

 

I don't see it as a drugs v alcohol issue at all, if people want to get off their face they will do. i just think the less available they are the better.

[NickG]

But surely the fact that so many people die from a drug that has been made legal means legalising other damaging drugs is a dumb idea?

 

In my opinion the harder it is to get any drug the better. When I was a kid the fact that drugs were illegal definitely stopped me doing them, and it's young people who should be protected the most.

 

Exactly.

 

If alcohol was new the situation would be very different.

 

Having seen the damage caused by drugs, including the softer drugs, I want them under the tightest controls possible.

 

Some wet arguments come out such as its a battle we can't win. Ok, sod it, let's give up and watch young people die.

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

Well Pap, nations all over the world have indeed examined the recreational drug use issue and (with a relatively small number of exceptions) they have decided that this behavior should remain prohibited to one degree or another. The reasons for that near universal trend are surely quite clear to all - a good example being last nights BBC3 documentary on the terrible effects he new 'yaba' craze (pills made from a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine) is inflicting on Thailand's youth. Why on Earth would any responsible government want to tolerate such a dangerous and destructive narcotic?

 

As for other harmful human activities such as alcohol abuse or tobacco addition, no one could disagree that these substances too represent a real public health problem. However you could argue that there is a significant difference in that these substances do tend to kill over a long period of time (typically many decades in the case of tobacco) while a teenager taking his/her very first sniff of glue, or pill, is at real risk of being killed almost instantly should their bodies suffer a extreme adverse reaction.

 

But the real reason we continue to tolerate alcohol and cigarettes, while drug abuse is still penalised, is primarily a cultural one. Because there is a long established precedent of those (legal) substances being considered an acceptable feature of everyday life for millions of people, the natural human resistance to change means they remain in widespread use. Yes looked at with a sense of Olympian detachment that is a utterly illogical behavior, but as society is comprised of utterly illogical Homosapiens such outcomes must be expected I suppose.

 

After all if the world were to became some totally rational place over night we might have to abolish our wonderful Royal Family - and I'm sure you will agree with me that would just never do.

Edited 21 August, 2013 by CHAPEL END CHARLIE

[pap]

Exactly.

 

If alcohol was new the situation would be very different.

 

Having seen the damage caused by drugs, including the softer drugs, I want them under the tightest controls possible.

 

Some wet arguments come out such as its a battle we can't win. Ok, sod it, let's give up and watch young people die.

 

It's only a battle because it has been framed and setup as such. I know a lot of people who choose non-legal recreational chemicals. Never harmed anyone and never likely to.

 

I've seen the effects of drug abuse myself. I know the extremes are nasty; I used to watch wraiths walking around Kensington not so long ago, queuing outside the chemist for their methadone prescription. Or maybe I should talk about the people I know who smoked too much weed in their formative years and ended up getting sectioned.

 

That's not something that'll happen with my kids. My advice all along is to leave well alone until well into your 20s, and be educated about what they do afterward.

 

You make an emotive point about kids dying, but I'd argue that everyone who died from ecstasy related deaths in this country did so needlessly, largely because of the immature attitude we've got enshrined in law.

 

If we were really interested in protecting kids, we'd give them the right information. It worked for the Dutch.

[aintforever]

It's only a battle because it has been framed and setup as such. I know a lot of people who choose non-legal recreational chemicals. Never harmed anyone and never likely to.

 

I've seen the effects of drug abuse myself. I know the extremes are nasty; I used to watch wraiths walking around Kensington not so long ago, queuing outside the chemist for their methadone prescription. Or maybe I should talk about the people I know who smoked too much weed in their formative years and ended up getting sectioned.

 

That's not something that'll happen with my kids. My advice all along is to leave well alone until well into your 20s, and be educated about what they do afterward.

 

You make an emotive point about kids dying, but I'd argue that everyone who died from ecstasy related deaths in this country did so needlessly, largely because of the immature attitude we've got enshrined in law.

 

If we were really interested in protecting kids, we'd give them the right information. It worked for the Dutch.

 

The problem with ecstasy as with any drug is that they lead on to harder and harder stuff. I used to do the clubbing thing and the guys I went with used to end up doing more and more until it was 6, sometimes 12 a night. Then it was horse traquilizers and allsorts of other sh!t, plus the usual weed to chill out with afterwards.

 

If we make taking a pill as normal as having a pint then this will inevitably happen more and more, to younger and younger people.