British troops investigated for heroin smuggling??

[SRENNAPS]

No Way!,

I really hope this is not true:

BBC News - British troops investigated for heroin smuggling (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11277466)

I know a few incidents of cartons of tabs coming back from Dhahran, but this would not be good, .:(:(

[NorthSouth]

Don't worry, the redcaps are on to it :rolleyes:
NS

[minigundiplomat]

I can't see someone with access to opium (OMLT etc working with ANA/ANP) thinking they could get away with it and getting together with someone working at the airhead. It just seems unlikely.

That said, I really hope it isn't true.

[Captain Sand Dune]

Aren't your lot are cutting back your defence force? Probably looking to fund their retirement.:ugh:

[ian16th]

The MoD spokeswoman, uses the term 'troops', the BBC translated this to 'soldiers'!

To me 'troops' is a collective term that can include personel from the RAF & RN.

[Union Jack]

To me 'troops' is a collective term that can include personel from the RAF & RN.

Certainly not in my book, Ian, any more than "soldiers" includes Marines!:ok:

Jack

[ian16th]

Jack,

Whilst agreeing about soldiers and Marines, I never had a problem being one of the troops.

Mind you, I was never refered to as a Troopie or Squadie! They were terms definitly reserved for the Army.:ok:

[Lord Trenchards Brat]

What ever happened to the movers involved with the 'ciggies' scam? Court case was at the beginning of year which was adjourned I believe.

[Mike7777777]

Small beer in the general scheme of things, but the media will exploit it.

I propose a two year plan for dealing with the heroin problem:

Year 1, alternative (subsidised) cash crops for the Afghan farmers, amnesty for the traffickers/dealers and understanding treatment for the junkies.

Year 2 would involve napalm, shooting and cold turkey.

[NorthSouth]

Year 2 would involve napalm, shooting and cold turkeyLet me know when you're gonna do that - it'll rack the price right up, making it an ideal investment for anyone suitably tooled up.
NS

[Easy Street]

The MoD spokeswoman, uses the term 'troops', the BBC translated this to 'soldiers'!

Seems like a fair payback for all those times that RAF and RN personnel engaged on high-profile duties wearing CS95 get labelled as "Army"...

[Climebear]

Mike

If only others could think of things like that!

alternative (subsidised) cash crops for the Afghan farmers (Already happening - any Governer Led Eradication (poor wording but not mine) only takes place in areas where alterntaive livelihood programmes are in operation), amnesty for the traffickers/dealers (Why? these people are crooks - exploiting the population and funding most the the corruption in Afghanistan that feeds the insurgents' 'cause')and understanding treatment for the junkies. (Already happening in Afghanistan)


Wholesale crop destruction generally only hurts the farmers that are already being exploited - thus driving them away from the Afghan government and international allies. It would also drive the street price of opiates up (as it did when teh Taliban order that production ceased) and thus make more money for the Drug Traffickers who, it is assessed, alrady have enough stockpiles for 3 years of world demand.

[Mike7777777]

The thought of the criminal world "tooling up" to defeat the US military and security services is laughable. If those who grow the stuff don't get the message then we'll have a second round of napalming/general burning of things until the message gets through. Hearts and minds is irrelevant, it doesn't work.

Stockpiles? Find them and burn them.

There will be no "street price" after year 1.

But won't happen, too many bleeding heart liberals on both sides of the Atlantic.

Edit: Am I ranting? That is a possibility ..

[minigundiplomat]

The thought of the criminal world "tooling up" to defeat the US military and security services is laughable.


The Colombian and Mexican cartels are far better equipped than the Viet Cong ever were, yadda yadda yadda..............

Hearts and minds is irrelevant, it doesn't work.

Have a read of Rupert Smith's 'The Utility Of Force', particularly the chapter on Malaya. It does work if military, diplomacy and civil administration all pull in the same direction.

[nice castle]

Well, apparently there's no investigation at all, and no accusations have been made.

Total load of media bolleaux.:zzz:

As you were.

[Load Toad]

If we gave the people that wanted heroin, heroin wouldn't the money going to terrorists kind of er - stop?

Or is there some aspect to the demand / supply chain that is applicable to all other products in the world accept scag?

[Lord Trenchards Brat]

nice castle

SIB getting 24hr notice to move to that area before the press release (I know I shouldn’t admit I have an SIB friend:O), suggests very much an investigation was/is being carried out. Whether there is any evidence is another thing:hmm:

[MrBernoulli]

If we gave the people that wanted heroin, heroin wouldn't the money going to terrorists kind of er - stop? A bit simplistic, don't you think?

If we gave alcohol to all the drunks who wanted it wouldn't we just have a lot of piss-heads lying in their own puke in the street, demanding another drink?

[BEagle]

Ever visited Glasgow, Mr B?


:uhoh:

[Load Toad]

Nope.
I didn't say make it easier to become an addict. I said 'Take away the profit from drug dealers and at the same time you'll also take away the impact of 'petty' and often violent crime by addicts who will do anything to get a fix of low quality junk.'

Because we have pubs, off-licenses, parties and clubs it's really impossible to get to work isn't it? What with the drunks lying in the street, the fights, the gun battles to win supply rights of illegal liquor, the blind an ill from taking bad booze....


Just give addicts heroin and lets move on. Bit sad to me that our soldiers are dying because we can't treat addiction as a health and education issue not a law / order / terrorism / war issue.





And are you suggesting that if heroin was legal you'd be rushing off to grab a syringe first chance you got to go and get completely monged off your tits and spend all day in an opium haze, no use to anyone?
If you wouldn't why would you think the rest of us would?

[BEagle]

Anyone in the military convicted of drug dealing should be shot - it would save the prison system a fortune.

Anyone in the military 'caught in possession', or failing CDT, should be informed that a repeat offence would merit the same sentence...death!

We used to be required to ask prospective UAS applicants whether they'd had any experience of drugs in civilian life. Anyone I interviewed who admitted to would find that, mysteriously, they weren't be accepted into the squadron.

[nice castle]

LTB, indeed, that is some admission!

WRT the SIB you mentioned - that's a bit of a leap you have made, imho. There could be other drivers towards a short notice move to theatre.

The Canadian forces were tied up in this and have issued a statement, and I quote, "[We] have confirmed with Britain's Royal Military Police that no such investigation is under way and that no such allegations have been made against either British or canadian personnel"

So either Colonel Tim Grubb, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal has been told a blatant lie, or there's no case to answer...

Hmmm, then again, it is the Feds we're talking about:ok:

[Neptunus Rex]

In '71 I was on my third Shack detachment to Majunga (Madagascar.) I had never heard mention of drugs on the island until it was announced in Station Routine Orders!
"Marijuana is cheaply and freely available in Majunga; do not be tempted."

Soon afterwards, a bunch of SIB rozzers got an unexpected trip to the tropics and I think one or two airmen got busted. The worst aspect was the treatment for returning crew and groundcrew. Arriving back at Honington, just before Christmas, after two months away, with wives and kids waiting to greet them, the returnees were all strip-searched. It was over two hours before the first chap got out of the shed to go home. No drugs were found.

[Shack37]

In '71 I was on my third Shack detachment to Majunga (Madagascar.) I had never heard mention of drugs on the island until it was announced in Station Routine Orders!
"Marijuana is cheaply and freely available in Majunga; do not be tempted."



I seem to remember that antibiotics were more in fashion back then, at least for the good Dr. Jospin.:{

[Mike7777777]

Re: Malayan Emergency, lots of different views, including this

'Hearts and Minds'? British Counter-Insurgency from Malaya to Iraq - Journal of Strategic Studies (http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a912750182&fulltext=713240928)

I would be surprised if the Mexican and South American gangs possessed anti-tank weapons as per the VC, but fairly immaterial anyway, identify gang members and send in the snatch teams/drones/helicopter gunships/B52s as required, there will be extensive collateral damage but such is conflict.

Re: alcohol, I enjoy the odd Scotch (get down Jock) and the occasional pint of Futtocks Old Dirigible, but having seen what extended opening hours and dirt cheap wife-beater has achieved in the UK, I'm all in favour of very restricted opening hours and no booze in supermarkets. In fact, I may take up the teetotal option and enjoy a life of tea, water and gin, although not always in the same glass.

The thought of heroin being freely available to all is mind boggling, visit any lost town centre in the Home Counties or many London boroughs to verify this, probably the same in that Birmingham place and others.

Napalm, it's the only answer to the poppy fields y'know.

[baffman]

As pointed out earlier in the thread, it is NOT thought that any British or Canadian military personnel are under investigation over alleged drug smuggling from Afghanistan.