Chukkablade,
Nothing is a wind-up. And neither did I mention about a chap being "rough around the edges".
I have not put all the details down about this chap since, as far as I know, he is perfectly innocent - and so why would I want to identify him publicly.
But I did work as a journalist (scum, scum I hear you cry!!!) and met a wide range of folk and developed a little instinct about when things might not be quite as they seem, so when it might be worth asking a few questions.
I say again, when you have a suspicion, it is worth mentioning it to someone - perhaps even just a family member at first. Then think about what they say, perhaps then ask a pal if you are still uncertain. Then maybe give the chaps/chapesses in Special Branch a quick call.
That's how the system works all across the country.
The government is planning to ban most of the effective cold remedies because some substance in them can be refined into crystal meth. At the moment, they rely on suppliers tipping them off when people who are not pharmacists place large orders.
Similar things happen when people who live in city centres order large amounts of fertiliser.
Or in one fraud investigation I was involved in, where unrealistically large quantities of meat were being offered in the UK at unrealistically low prices over a long period (an EU subsidy fraud involving meat that was meant to have been exported to Lebanon - as you can imagine, few EU oficials wanted to go to lebanon in the 1990s to check containers!) That started from a tip-off from people in the meat trade.
So, if criminals are using aircraft for criminal purposes (rather than for fun or legitimate work as the rest of us do) then it is people in aviation who are likely to be the first to know.
And I think we have a public duty to help the police (which also allows criticism too because that can help improve their effectiveness)