Filipina faces death penalty on Thai drugs charges

BANGKOK, May 5, 2010 (AFP) - A 54-year-old woman from the Philippines faces the death penalty after being arrested at Bangkok's international airport for trafficking cocaine worth 500,000 dollars, police said Wednesday.

Estrelita Turado Basilio was detained at Suvarnabhumi Airport Tuesday after flying in from the Peruvian capital Lima, according to Narcotics Suppression Police, who said they acted on a tip-off.

They said they found 5.4 kilos (12 pounds) of cocaine in the woman's luggage, wrapped in aluminium foil and hidden in boxes of candy.

The anti-narcotics police said she told investigators that she was asked to carry the boxes on behalf of someone from her hometown of Manila, but they suspected the cocaine was in fact destined for a trafficking ring in Bangkok.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2010-05-05

Published with written approval from AFP.

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How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

They just think about the easy few bucks they will make.............. SAD.................

What's up with these "Narcotics surpression police"? What's the point of arresting a mule before making contact with the "trafficking ring in Bangkok" she was apparently destined for?

Surely this is not the most effective way to be suppressing narcotics.

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

....and with so many boxes of candies.........stupid.

What's up with these "Narcotics surpression police"? What's the point of arresting a mule before making contact with the "trafficking ring in Bangkok" she was apparently destined for?

Surely this is not the most effective way to be suppressing narcotics.

Its called buy off.

Poor stupid woman....obviously I don't know if she's a drug kingpin or just a stupid mule...if she's the kingpin, then by all means hang her high....

If she's just a mule, making a couple of thousand bucks, then be kind to animals, and send her to jail for a few years, then deport her...I'd hate to think that the bastard kingpin who stood to make all the money, got off scot-free while she's dangling from the business end of a long rope...

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

stupid!

Giving her the death sentence doesn't put a dent on the trafficking of illegal narcotics. She is obviously just a mule and taking her life means that the bigger fish gets a chance to find another willing mule.

Every time I read about such an arrest at the airport here, it seems to involve the police saying they were acting on a tip... Not a baggage search, not screening, not dogs, etc etc...

It makes one wonder, who's doing all the tipping in these kinds of cases....and why???

Every time I read about such an arrest at the airport here, it seems to involve the police saying they were acting on a tip... Not a baggage search, not screening, not dogs, etc etc...

It makes one wonder, who's doing all the tipping in these kinds of cases....and why???

People higher up the food chain are doing the tipping off, 1 mule gets caught, others (most likely on the same flight) get through.

Simples.

FF

If justice is defined as as the quality of being righteous or fair, seems not so righteous and not so fair to take someone's life for carrying or even selling drugs.

If someone is not violent, how do you justify killing them? Seems crazy to me.

i needs to know what happened to the chocolates ?

If justice is defined as as the quality of being righteous or fair, seems not so righteous and not so fair to take someone's life for carrying or even selling drugs.

If someone is not violent, how do you justify killing them? Seems crazy to me.

I agree. The death penalty for being a drug mule is inhumane. However, seriously, I am not sure which I would choose, lifetime in Thai prison or death.

She knew what she was getting into. Tough luck... Hang her! I certainly do not feel sorry for her.

She knew what she was getting into. Tough luck... Hang her! I certainly do not feel sorry for her.

Yes and no. She is clearly a mule/pawn. Whoever packed her bags for her didn't even give her a sporting chance.

Half a million dollars worth of cocaine eh. I'd bet money that some of it "disappears" in the evidence locker and ends up on the street in a month.

That's a lot of stuff to sniff.

No one is tipping anybody off, you can see its quite obvious, may be a middle aged woman steps off a flight thats worth about $3000 round trip, wearing a $10 jeans and plastic earrings with a suitcase full of candies, and just $72 change in her purse. With no obvious tan lines and beads in her hair braids. She definitely coming upstairs for a welcome drink while she answers a few questions.

I once was going into Guanzhou with nothing but pocketful of cash which was declared, no toothbrush or change of underwear, just travelling documents.

The customs could nt just understand that I ll buy everything I need and will leave the next day. Being that I is black, I was x-rayed after a prolonged debate, that it is either I let them or I am back on the plane. I had no phone or diary too, except my cars keys,told them I left most of my stuff in the car at bangkok.

I went from being a drug mule to a goverment secret agent to a loony, but I had 300 grand chinese currency bought from a bank in bangkok.

They reluctantly let me go in.

If true, that would be the Thai way... business gets done... and the BIB get somethings in return (whatever those somethings may be... publicity.... or???)

Every time I read about such an arrest at the airport here, it seems to involve the police saying they were acting on a tip... Not a baggage search, not screening, not dogs, etc etc...

It makes one wonder, who's doing all the tipping in these kinds of cases....and why???

People higher up the food chain are doing the tipping off, 1 mule gets caught, others (most likely on the same flight) get through.

Simples.

FF

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Such an amount of “Bolivian flakes” 5.4 kg is worth $ 500,000?

Would be about $100 for a gram, just thinking about its purity, 5,4 kg would be easy to stretch into 20+ kg, and still good quality. Then 20,000 grams a’ $100 would make around 2,000,000 baht on the black market, mostly sold by Nigerians.

Very hard to understand the cops. It’s pretty obvious that she was just a tool to bring it into Thailand. Poverty makes people doing things like that. I’d have changed the “candy” with real candy to see who’s really waiting for it.

So easy to find the real <deleted> behind it and for sure a plus for her to receive “only” a few years for her cooperation. A tracking unit in her bag would have been so easy to install.

Wouldn't’ that be common sense to find the people behind? That's why they'll never find the 'big shots.'

Unbelievable, a flight from Peru to Bangkok with such an amount of class A drugs.

Sad story, those kind of things should be publicized, when she was caught a video should be made, put on youtube so potential traffickers may be warned. It is too late when you get caught. Death penalty for drug trafficking in many Asian countries is a well know thing but money is tempting and still some fools will do it risking life.

So easy to find the real <deleted> behind it and for sure a plus for her to receive "only" a few years for her cooperation. A tracking unit in her bag would have been so easy to install.

Wouldn't' that be common sense to find the people behind? That's why they'll never find the 'big shots.'

Unbelievable, a flight from Peru to Bangkok with such an amount of class A drugs.

These traffickers aren't morons either. They know that mules can lead the police so oftentimes they are secretly observed by a person who they have never met before. If the mule gets nabbed then they call the whole thing off right away. They also do it to make sure the mule doesn't bail on them.

These people are well organized and know what the risks are. The big middle men and cartel heads never get caught.

There's also the decoy drop..one mule will get dimed out and multiple mules will slip right in from other concurrent flights.

Edited May 5, 201016 yr by wintermute

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Such an amount of "Bolivian flakes" 5.4 kg is worth $ 500,000?

Would be about $100 for a gram, just thinking about its purity, 5,4 kg would be easy to stretch into 20+ kg, and still good quality. Then 20,000 grams a' $100 would make around 2,000,000 baht on the black market, mostly sold by Nigerians.

Very hard to understand the cops. It's pretty obvious that she was just a tool to bring it into Thailand. Poverty makes people doing things like that. I'd have changed the "candy" with real candy to see who's really waiting for it.

So easy to find the real <deleted> behind it and for sure a plus for her to receive "only" a few years for her cooperation. A tracking unit in her bag would have been so easy to install.

Wouldn't' that be common sense to find the people behind? That's why they'll never find the 'big shots.'

Unbelievable, a flight from Peru to Bangkok with such an amount of class A drugs.

Agree, bust them all not just a stupid mule

Edited May 5, 201016 yr by macwalen

So easy to find the real <deleted> behind it and for sure a plus for her to receive "only" a few years for her cooperation. A tracking unit in her bag would have been so easy to install.

Wouldn't' that be common sense to find the people behind? That's why they'll never find the 'big shots.'

Unbelievable, a flight from Peru to Bangkok with such an amount of class A drugs.

These traffickers aren't morons either. They know that mules can lead the police so oftentimes they are secretly observed by a person who they have never met before. If the mule gets nabbed then they call the whole thing off right away. They also do it to make sure the mule doesn't bail on them.

These people are well organized and know what the risks are. The big middle men and cartel heads never get caught.

There's also the decoy drop..one mule will get dimed out and multiple mules will slip right in from other concurrent flights.

And if too much suspicion mule can get a bullet just in case, no need for the court case. It is a game of 'who is smarter'

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Never heard that Bolivians are producing delicious candies, would she have delivered that to Europe and got caught, it would have been much easier for her to have three meals a day.

About 10- 15 years, and she’d be free and deported after approximately eight years, under much different circumstances. The sad thing is that nobody else got caught, nothing will change so far.

I bet the stuff will be on the streets soon, or already is. I guess some of us have heard that: Wana by sam Coak?

Thailand is one of the countries who do have the death penalty. And from time to time they have to kill people to make them understand that it’s not a joke. Som Nam Na.

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Okay, most of all have heard about the “Nigerian” connection. So how is this possible that so many Africans, (sorry I’m not being a racist) are still selling this particular drug in Bangkok, and nobody gets caught?

Please Bangkokians, is it true, or not? We always read about some young Thais getting busted with some Pee Baa pills. (Jaba) How often is there an article about drug selling guys from the black continent?

Is there a possibility, with all respect, that some ‘officials’ are also involved in this money producing and laundering machine? Otherwise it would not be how it is…….

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Okay, most of all have heard about the “Nigerian” connection. So how is this possible that so many Africans, (sorry I’m not being a racist) are still selling this particular drug in Bangkok, and nobody gets caught?

Please Bangkokians, is it true, or not? We always read about some young Thais getting busted with some Pee Baa pills. (Jaba) How often is there an article about drug selling guys from the black continent?

Is there a possibility, with all respect, that some ‘officials’ are also involved in this money producing and laundering machine? Otherwise it would not be how it is…….

My friends contact (Nigerian) uses the Thai girlfriend for delivery.

She got caught once a year ago, cost them a bundle of money but she got away without a mark on the record.

If justice is defined as as the quality of being righteous or fair, seems not so righteous and not so fair to take someone's life for carrying or even selling drugs.

If someone is not violent, how do you justify killing them? Seems crazy to me.

Drugs are killing lots of people. Would you like that somebody in your family would die overdosed, using cocaine? Seems crazy to me that you don't even understand that it wasn't candies.

To kill her would set an example for others, I'm pretty sure. But the drugs will still come inside using other ways.

How many Filipino nationals fly into Bangkok from Peru? That alone must have raised suspicion.

Okay, most of all have heard about the "Nigerian" connection. So how is this possible that so many Africans, (sorry I'm not being a racist) are still selling this particular drug in Bangkok, and nobody gets caught?

It's because these guys are foot peddlers usually selling for some cartel guys really high up the chain. They don't interact with the big boys and usually get directions from Thai middle men who "protect" them. The third party africans who try to go to business on their own get busted/beaten/deported. There's plenty of nigerians and such in Thai prisons you just don't hear about them making the news because it's not newsworthy.

How does one fly from Lima to Bangkok? AFAIK there are no direct flights.