Another ... yes ANOTHER Coke bust at JHB Int

[Gunship]

Am I getting to old for this ? I mean here they caught 2 oke's. Do I look SO kewl and calm and non - suspicious when I travel ?

I have never ever been touched - even by a eye when I arrive at Jhb International, not from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, London or anywhere else in Europe .. and I have never seen somebody "taken aside" .. where do they actually check ?



A Nigerian national and a South African man were arrested at Johannesburg International Airport on Monday morning after they were allegedly found in possession of cocaine worth millions, North Rand police said.

Superintendent Eugene Opperman said both men were on a flight from Sau Paulo in Brazil.

He said customs officials and members of the South African Narcotics Bureau detected a strong smell of glue coming from eight boxes that came off the flight.

Opperman said the officials put the boxes through an x-ray and secret compartments in the boxes. They opened the boxes and found 24kg of cocaine worth R10.8 million.

A 52-year-old Nigerian national was identified as the owner of the luggage. He was arrested and he will appear in court soon.

On the same flight, a South African man was arrested after four kilograms of cocaine worth R1.8m was found strapped around his waist.

[B Sousa]

Just goes to show that the Nigerians are still more profit oriented than the South Africans... He was carrying 24kgs and the South African only had 4 kg......
When I saw that post about World Airways having a direct flight to the U.S. from Nigeria, I could think of NO useful reason other than Drugs and Fraud suspects heading this way....
Sometimes I believe the U.S. is more Stupid than most people think they are.

[4granted]

Ive often wondered if there wasnt any insider trading. Coke dealer/ Distibuter tips cops/customs off.
What hapens to 10 million rands worth of coke thats been confiscated. Do They actually burn the stuff, or do they put it out on the streets like a good conspiricy theory. Im mean thats a lot of money even in Rand terms.:\

Oh well guess well never know??...

P.S. Bert
...I think that there are more people thinking excactly that, than there ever were before.
Hey you wanna read a good book? get Micheal Moores book called "Stupid White Men" Its a good laugh.:ok:

[Gunship]

Sorry to interupt guys ... ;)

I am really serious : Why I posted this, is re the "security" at Airports. When you arrive in the UK (from an African Airline - not SAA though) you have to show your passport BEFORE you disembark the aircraft door. If you do not have it (apparently "they" :} throw it away and claim political assulum) - you get PNG and wow back to where you come from - deported.

Then you get checked again and I think one more time ... all passports. Then through passport control, then baggage / luggage and then green and red line.

WHERE ... (in SA similar) do they frisk you ? Where are you a "suspect". 90% or more of the time if I take the green line - there are not a person on duty ... that's my question ... am I just this good looking dude that everyone trusts or is ther guys behind tinted windows to check if you sweat or dig in your nose :} and then the grab you ?

I am really confused about this issue .. :hmm:

HELP - explain please ... I beg ... :E

http://www.news24.com/Images/Photos/2003052415262624_skillie.jpg

:confused: :confused: :confused:

[B Sousa]

Guns.....No need to be confused. You are right, when have I ever been checked. SO....it means these guys are REALLY stupid to get caught...........or someone gave them up for a few Rand. COPs as a rule couldnt catch a cold without and informant.

[Gunship]

Ok .. So Bert in all your flying you have also NEVER been checked after you came from a flight. Neither have I (and I have a few million miles behind me ) and surely you must have ten times more.

Paxboy will most probably have 100 times more.

Point is .. I have climbed from a Ghana Airways flight (half was Nigerians) .. NOBODY was checked - NOBODY as I saw it because it was next to the area where my suitcase went missing.

So is it just "suspect" flight that get checked (Brazil / South America) seems to be 99% envolved ?

Really interested ! :8

http://www.iol.co.za/data/picdb/3/a/picdb3edae7c914d75

How do they Do it in AMERICA ? :confused:

[B Sousa]

Guns.....I meant never in SA......... I get hammered here all the time......I went to Arizona to pick up a Helicopter which meant Commercial Air Travel. I had a (1) one way Ticket, (2) purchased on the last minute with a credit card. That raises Big Flags and I got searched a minimum of three times before even boarding. twice at the transfer Point.... .... Im surprised I didnt get a flashlight.....well nevermind......
Point being here in the states they now do at least a minimal search on everyone, and if you suspicious your dead meat for Inspectors....shoes off, no metal, into the bags.......no fun.....Im not saying they are smart as when my badge set of the metal detector one of the African cousins asked me in equivalent of eeeeeeeahh what is this?

[Gunship]

.... the 2 oldest ... and both chopper pilots ... so sorry to the more clever one's .. :p

Ok understand EXIT ... but what I mean a country like SA .. on ENTRY .. or Even the UK.

The terrorist threat is one thing but on ENTRY .. what about drugs and all the other stuff ?

Sorry Uncle Bert .. that is what Oom Gunsss meant :E


Cheers,

The one and only Gunsss :8

[flyboy6876]

Yep Gunss, security in SA is a joke, so I've no idea how these okes got busted.

During trips to Uganda and Ghana, where I've had a few hours stopover in JHB I normally grab all my gear, exit the airport and spend some time with my family before getting on the next flight.

Not once, and I mean not once, has anyone checked me at all. I grab the backpack and walk through the green line without any hassles. This works both ways from Oz and on the way to Oz.

I get back to Oz and I normally get pulled aside, my bag gets checked and sniffed and I get treated very suspiciously.

No wonder that people try and smuggle dope into JHB, its just to easy.

[Gunship]

That is what I mean flyboy !

Even in the UK or for that matter Amsterdam and Brussels .. I have just walked through .. it seems to me the whole aim has moved to OUTGOING pax and in such a matter that the INCOMING pax walk through ?

To the two that did not get away - sorry it wasn't your day :E

[flyboy6876]

We cop it both ways here. Outgoing because of all the security stuff, and incoming for dope and, believe it or not, for foodstuffs, grasses etc. Western Australia has strict quarantine on fresh fruit vegetables and so on.

[BAKELA]

I belief that they only act in SA when they get a HOT tip-off. The procedures are there, the staff is there but I reckon the lack of active management, the lack of motivation and a 'who cares' culture are the culprits for security at SA airports being as non-existent as what it is.

[Gunship]

flyboy6876 :

We cop it both ways here. Outgoing because of all the security stuff, and incoming for dope and, believe it or not, for foodstuffs, grasses etc. Western Australia has strict quarantine on fresh fruit vegetables and so on.

Flyboy I do want to take the mickey out of a serious situation, but I flew from Cape Town (I think) and there where these large signs saying " Australia welcomes you without BILTONG, FRESH MEAT, SEEDS .. bla bla ... "

An Afrikaans "coloured" guy (Chirpy as ever) walked past and within hearing distance he tells his wife / girl ..

So Dagga and Mandrax is welcome ...:p

Strange how the focus changes.

I remember before landing at Singapore .. ladies and G.. if you are found with drugs .. you will not have the time to say cheers to your family as you will be court, trail and found guilty and excecuted on the same day.

Ok, ok ... some is my OWN words :E

[Deanw]

Bakela, you just beat me to it:{

Most of the busts ARE only as a result of tip-offs.

These come in two forms: either a drug competitor tips-off the customs guys, or the importer rats on his own courier to the officials! Why you may ask? Because if the officials target the incoming courier and concentrate their limited resources on them, other couriers on the same flight can then get through. The importers make so much, they can afford to take the hit by ratting on some of their own couriers :yuk: And the customs guys look good too and may take some of the heat off.

Of course, there is the odd occasions when there are 'genuine' busts as a result of good ol' anti-narc work. Apart from some of the alarm bell ringing actions mentioned before, such as buying tickets at the last minutes, staying in known drug producing/trading countries for one or two days, little luggage, etc, just don't stare into those mirrors in Arrivals ;)

Particularly, when you hang back at the end of the line, swetting profusely and fidgeting :suspect:

[flyboy6876]

Flyboy I do want to take the mickey out of a serious situation, but I flew from Cape Town (I think) and there where these large signs saying " Australia welcomes you without BILTONG, FRESH MEAT, SEEDS .. bla bla ... "

An Afrikaans "coloured" guy (Chirpy as ever) walked past and within hearing distance he tells his wife / girl ..

So Dagga and Mandrax is welcome ...


Love it Gunss. Yep, they are **** hot serious about any foodstuffs coming in. Dagga would fall under the category of greenstuffs / fresh fruit & vegetables I guess :}

[BAKELA]

4g,

Thanks for the e-mail boet. ;) I tried to reply to you but Pprune mail service rejects your mail addy. The bossies I'm referring to is actually the bosveld, more specifically the north-eastern lowveld - best place to become a human being after a stint in Jo'burg. Nothing wrong with the Cape though, Skelmbos is a beauts place. :ok:

Salagahlè
BAKELA

[Gunship]

Dunno if you guys read News 24 today : Headline News ..

Customs official caught with 200 open visa's ... just wonder how many he / they have allowed throgh from .. well mostly Nigeria me thinks :}

If that happens ... well Dean you are not too far off my friend !

Sad ... very sad ... :sad: