Rupert_Baehr Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 There aren't any dogs at Brightside Lane. And even if there were they would not be able to search much. Very little mail is searched. And even then, smells can be hidden, they might not exist in the first place. There are, however, dogs at 'points of entry' to a number of countries. It is somewhat difficult to hide smells from drug dogs. I was at a demo where I and a number of other people were given packages of drugs to hide. I was given about half a kilo of heroin sealed in polythene. I put it in the cistern of a toilet (under the water - the package was well-sealed and water didn't get in.) Once we'd all hidden our 'goodies' the dogs were let in. It took about a minute for one of them to 'mark' on the toilet. The handler opened the cistern and took the package out. Then he pointed the dog towards the group of us, let it go and it came over and marked on me! - Sniffing at the hand which had held the package. There are indeed ways of masking smells, but they usually involve other smells and the drug dogs are likely to mark on those smells, too. The dogs don't have to sniff each individual item. - If they show an interest in a container of mail, then the items in that container would be checked individually, but if they sniff at the container and walk past it, it's a pretty fair bet that the container is 'clean'. There's no guaranteed way of detecting drugs - but I wouldn't rely on the postal service as a means of moving them around - certainly not across international borders. Drug dogs are used routinely to check shipments of personal possessions and furniture going into the US. The articles are wrapped/put into cardboard boxes and then put inside wooden containers which are sealed with mastic (to prevent water getting in en-route) The drug dogs check the outside of the containers - and if there is anything inside one, they've got a pretty good chance of finding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cressida Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 Quite simply they think it's worth the risk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 There are, however, dogs at 'points of entry' to a number of countries. It is somewhat difficult to hide smells from drug dogs. I was at a demo where I and a number of other people were given packages of drugs to hide. I was given about half a kilo of heroin sealed in polythene. I put it in the cistern of a toilet (under the water - the package was well-sealed and water didn't get in.) Once we'd all hidden our 'goodies' the dogs were let in. It took about a minute for one of them to 'mark' on the toilet. The handler opened the cistern and took the package out. Then he pointed the dog towards the group of us, let it go and it came over and marked on me! - Sniffing at the hand which had held the package. There are indeed ways of masking smells, but they usually involve other smells and the drug dogs are likely to mark on those smells, too. The dogs don't have to sniff each individual item. - If they show an interest in a container of mail, then the items in that container would be checked individually, but if they sniff at the container and walk past it, it's a pretty fair bet that the container is 'clean'. There's no guaranteed way of detecting drugs - but I wouldn't rely on the postal service as a means of moving them around - certainly not across international borders. Drug dogs are used routinely to check shipments of personal possessions and furniture going into the US. The articles are wrapped/put into cardboard boxes and then put inside wooden containers which are sealed with mastic (to prevent water getting in en-route) The drug dogs check the outside of the containers - and if there is anything inside one, they've got a pretty good chance of finding it. I've known a few friends walk through borders without any problems carrying drugs by accident! Young men with hash to Ibiza, old women with coca from SA. And it is common knowledge that posting drugs occurs and is highly successful. No country has all its imports checked for drugs. No country has all its exports checked for drugs. No country knows fully of all its imports or exports anyhow! A very small minority of goods are checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddywolf Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 I saw this program for the first time today on a Sky channel, and it showed someone being paid 15K to smuggle some drugs into Spain. He got stopped and arrested, I don't know how most would even dare attempt it. I would have to be forced to do it by fear for my life or life of my family to do it, no money would be enough. Just getting a coke or chocolate into cineworld is enough smuggling for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callippo Posted July 29, 2012 Share Posted July 29, 2012 the best two episodes for me was Banged Up Abroard - Japan and Banged Up Abroard - Australia. the Japan one, just for the entertainment value. The woman was smuggling drugs and yet, when there was some delay at the check in counter and she was informed that the plane was cancelled, she made a big scene. She ultimately got caught, because as they say in the drugs trade, 'users, are losers'. She smoked some of her stock, which caused her to make a stupid mistake, and which incriminated her. the guy in the Australia episode, a British guy, was very unusual because unlike most of the others, who claimed they were a stooge and were set up in some way, and had never smuggled drugs before, basically admitted he was a career criminal and deliberately chose Australia rather than somewhere like Thailand or Singapore because he knew there is no death penalty in Australia, and the prisons are not all that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsEyes4Eva Posted July 29, 2012 Author Share Posted July 29, 2012 I think most probably don`t get caught and we probably only here about it, and a big deal is made in the media when someone is caught. I think it is greed, stupidity, niavety and cheek that they think they can get away with smuggling that crap. I still always say why do they do it?? again someone has been caught, the Customs Officials just laugh at them and call them stupid fools, they are they deserve everything they get as that crap ruins lives and destroys families, so I have no sympathy for anybody who smuggles drugs whatever their circumstances I am afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert_Baehr Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Quite obviously, a number of drug smugglers are successful. - If they weren't, there wouldn't be any drugs available on the streets. Getting back to the original question: Q: "Why do people risk smuggling drugs when they might be banged up (or worse) abroad?" A: (a) for the money and (b) because they've probably not considered the risks in sufficient detail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halibut Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 I think most probably don`t get caught and we probably only here about it, and a big deal is made in the media when someone is caught. I think it is greed, stupidity, niavety and cheek that they think they can get away with smuggling that crap. I still always say why do they do it?? again someone has been caught, the Customs Officials just laugh at them and call them stupid fools, they are they deserve everything they get as that crap ruins lives and destroys families, so I have no sympathy for anybody who smuggles drugs whatever their circumstances I am afraid. Howabout if they were doing it to feed starving cats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callippo Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 the Banged Up Abroard series isn't exclusively about numbskulls getting caught smuggling drugs. Some of the more interesting episodes weren't about drug smuggling cretins at all, like the Taiwan episode which featured the South African defence attache getting held hostage by an armed criminal gang, or the hapless Brit in the Philippines episode that found out too late that it is not a good idea to get married women pregnant in that country - you'll fall foul of their adultery laws. they're all up on youtube last time I looked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted July 30, 2012 Share Posted July 30, 2012 Quite obviously, a number of drug smugglers are successful. - If they weren't, there wouldn't be any drugs available on the streets. Getting back to the original question: Q: "Why do people risk smuggling drugs when they might be banged up (or worse) abroad?" A: (a) for the money and (b) because they've probably not considered the risks in sufficient detail. Drugs can be smuggled practically risk free. With the only risk being the loss of the drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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