# Fleeing the Long Arm of the Law / Sam Israel **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 3, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161 "2008-07-03T07:08:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/1 "2008-07-03T07:08:23Z")
Inspired by the story of [Samuel Israel III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Israel_III) It seems like he did a pretty lame job of faking his death / fleeing justice. One would think that a guy with millions could do a better job. Realistically, is it possible to succesfully flee? Can one just live in a country without an extradition treaty and thumb one’s nose at the authorities? Can one disappear in Latin America? Or is the world too small? The fantasy of a ne’er do well sitting on a beach in the Carribean with his ill-gotten millions - is it just a fantasy? Disclaimer: I am not a fugitive from justice. I’m just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/2 "2008-07-03T12:03:57Z")
I kinda thought the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/3 "2008-07-03T12:50:55Z")
There was an article in Time in January/February (have it at home) about people who moved to Northern Cyprus (Turk-Occupied) to avoid justice. NC is only recognized by Turkey and thus has no extradition treaties with any other countries. Basically it´s not about not being found, it´s about being found in a country which has no extradition treaty with the country you´re wanted in. So if you´re fine with sitting on a beach in the Med, then sure. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/4 "2008-07-04T08:09:33Z")
Well, you have the case of [Ronnie Biggs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Biggs), of [Great Train Robbery](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Train_Robbery_%281963%29) fame, who spent many years as a fugitive from British justice in Brazil, and managed to avoid extradition to Britain, until he returned voluntarily to the UK in 2001. Just my 2 eurocent! ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/5 "2008-07-04T09:04:44Z")
[QUOTE=brazil84] Realistically, is it possible to succesfully flee? [/QUOTE] Yes [QUOTE=brazil84] Can one just live in a country without an extradition treaty and thumb one’s nose at the authorities? Can one disappear in Latin America? Or is the world too small? [/QUOTE] I think the key is to have contacts with the right people in the right place. For total security, you need not only to be not only outside the reach of normal legal recourse such as extradition, but also protected from anyone who might want to drag you kicking and screaming to within the reach of normal legal measures. So your best bet is a dodgy country run by dodgy people who owe you a favour or expect to benefit from your presence. If this happens to be your home country, you don’t even need to flee at all. But either way you need to be a very serious player to really get away with it. [Ratko Mladic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratko_Mladi%C4%87) and [Radovan Karadzic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radovan_Karad%C5%BEi%C4%87) are good examples. Multimillion dollar bounties on their heads, arrest warrants issued internationally and within Serbia, all to virtually no effect. See also [Pablo Escobar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_escobar), who basically negotiated an immunity deal for himself and would probably still be living a life of luxury if he had managed to disconnect himself from his criminal empire. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/6 "2008-07-04T09:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=slaphead] I think the key is to have contacts with the right people in the right place. For total security, you need not only to be not only outside the reach of normal legal recourse such as extradition, but also protected from anyone who might want to drag you kicking and screaming to within the reach of normal legal measures. [/QUOTE] And don’t piss off the Israelis. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/7 "2008-07-04T09:50:39Z")
[QUOTE=Koxinga] And don’t piss off the Israelis. [/QUOTE] That one should probably be no. 1 on the list ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fleeing-the-long-arm-of-the-law-sam-israel/455161/8 "2008-07-04T13:13:21Z")
[QUOTE=WormTheRed] That one should probably be no. 1 on the list [/QUOTE] Hmmm. Even that might not be bother if you have the right friends in the right places. The Israelis would have a long long think before going after someone the US, Soviets or Chinese had given them a credible warning to leave the heck alone. But that sort of takes us out of the normal ‘fugitive from justice’ league and into full-on ‘evil mastermind’ territory. Which prompts me to remember [AQ Khan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Qadeer_Khan) - truly, it is amazing just what you can get away with.