Lengths drug lords go to in smuggling

The illicit drug trade is a huge multi- billion dollar business. It is estimated that the 2014 drug trade was worth between $426 billion and $652 billion. Today it must be worth much more. It is such huge sums that drive the illicit drug.

So lucrative is the drug business that crime syndicates and unscrupulous drug lords go to any lengths to get their stuff across the borders into the markets - women, children, animals, reptiles, pigeons and even babies. Drugs are stored in a cow’s stomach [slit and stitched] or even pushed into the rectum and then taken across the border.

Despite the vigilance of the police and border guards, many drug mules are still able to slip through with their haul. Even if they are caught the drug lords don’t give up but try again and again to get their drugs across. At the airports they even use a decoy. While the police are busy with one drug mule another slips through.

Vast distances across continents and oceans are no deterrent to the drug mules. Trucks, aeroplanes and ships are all used to transport the drugs. Last month the British navy intercepted a narco-sub, a semi-submersible vessel, carrying 2 000kg of cocaine with a street value of 160 million pounds on the UK market. In fact, the British navy has made eight “drug busts” worth 750 million pounds on the high seas from the beginning of this year. Despite all this, the smugglers are as determined as ever to get their drugs onto the streets in America and Europe.

So what has sparked an interest in illicit trade in our country which the drug world sees as an easy transit hub? A Namibian woman was caught at OR International Airport with a stomach - full of cocaine pellets! The police arrested the alleged drug mule and took her to the hospital. A scan confirmed their suspicions. There were cocaine pellets in her stomach. She was given laxative and some 60 or more of the pellets were ejected. She is to appear in court on a charge of drug-smuggling.

Now what if she did not get caught? She would have gone to her boss, the drug lord, and “shat” all out for him! They would then be sold to the drug addicts on the streets. The smellier all the better. Ag sis man! What the greedy won’t do for filthy lucre!

T MARKANDAN | Kloof

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

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