There are any number of TV shows/clips on YouTube, about Americans, British, etc., who go to foreign countries for a “free vacation”-and pay for it by attempting to smuggle drugs back into their home countries. Invariably, these people are caught, and (often) given long prison sentences-often in horrendous prisons. I saw one last night, about a British couple who went to Guyana, where they were given a 12 oz. shampoo bottle-which had a false bottom (the bottom was filled with liquid cocaine). Their return to the UK was via intermediate stops in the Caribbean- first Antigua, then Martinique (they were caught by Martinique customs). Needless to say, their imprisonment was most unpleasant. Given the small quantities that these mules can carry, is it worth it? I thought that cocaine smuggling is done in large shipments, in cargo containers, or mixed in the bulk cargoes of freighters. Is it worth it for 12 oz. of cocaine? And why Guyana? It doesn’t produce drugs itself-you have to bring them in from Columbia, Bolivia, or Peru.
So, are these mules exceptionally stupid people? Is their success rate very low?
Is it worth it for the mules? Of course not. That’s why they call them mules.
What makes you think that most of them get caught? Depending on the size of the organization running the mules it can be very profitable for them. A couple of guys in rural Mexico get people to move cheap drugs into the US where they can make 2000 percent profit is a worthwhile operation from their viewpoint. The actual mules are either stupid or desperate. I recommend that you watch “Maria Full of Grace” as another view of drug smuggling that doesn’t involve greedy foreigners being the mules.
The very reason it makes sense to use Guyana as a point of shipment is the one you state; they don’t make it there, thus the police are more likely to be less vigilante about finding it.
I have now seen several of these shows, and my reaction is: how could they find people this stupid? One woman agreed to smuggle drugs into Singapore-she didn’t think to find out that Singapore has the death penalty for drug trafficking! Many of the mules arrived to find nobody at the airport, no hotel reservation, etc…really professional.
One small point: most of these mules get caught leaving the country-how did they ever think they would pass the entry into their home country? One guy (American) was trying to leave Caracas-with 6 cans of spray deodorant (filled with cocaine). WHAT were these fools thinking?
People are stupid.
A guy I used to know took regular vacation trips to Jamaica. On one of his arrivals in the country, he saw a British woman being arrested for bringing Marijuana INTO Jamaica. Now how fucking stupid is that?
The ones you hear about are the ones that get caught. so yes, 100% of the (ones you hear about) get caught.
Another reason to NOT think you’re going to be one who gets through.
Note: no cites, simply hearsay:
Drug dealer Juan has 5 mules, each with a kilo of cocaine, on flight 532. Juan tips the local cops that seat 17 is carrying.
Police bust seat 17.
Juan gets 4 kilos through unmolested
The cops get to be heroes busting a “cartel”.
Juan gets brownie points with the cops, who back off on his operation as long as he makes them look good. And remembers them come the holidays.
Seat 17 is screwed.
But hey, maybe you know the guy you’re dealing with is too small-time to do something that sophisticated. What, you thought you’d be meeting Juan in person?
Or maybe you’ll be one of the ones who isn’t in seat 17 on that flight. Could happen.
One I loved: rich young couple with their designers clothes, luggage, gold and diamonds everywhere have this tacky “Souvenir of Colombia” ceramic ashtray (back when ashtrays were common). Why would rich people buy cheap tacky mementos? Lab tests say: Cocaine.
How basic is it to look the part? Somebody on an overloaded ferry of illegal immigrants with a bottle of expensive perfume is also going to have the “item which is not like the others” looked at.
It’s kind of difficult to determine the success rate because we only hear about the cases where they get caught. And a lot of these cases where people claim they were enlisted to carry an unspecified package home with them are actually purchasing for themselves. It isn’t worth the cost of paying someone’s expenses to smuggle in an ounce of cocaine.
In China, Vietnam and Singapore, they get hanged when caught.
Or… there was a news story about two guys from Canada 10 or 20 years ago who died in the airport in Jamaica. Apparently they neglected to double-bag before swallowing a shitload of condoms.
Once it starts there’s no way to save yourself from an overdose. As one of my co-workers said - what kind of feeling is that?
“Hey, Joe, I’m starting to feel like I’m getting high!”
“Me too…”
“Uh-oh!”
In Soviet Russia,
Sorry I got nothin’. 