Filipina Faces Death Penalty On Thai Drugs Charges

[hd28]

Let's do the math:

5.4 kg X 2.2 =

11.88 pounds X 64 =

760.32 ounces X 28 =

21,288.96 grams X 2 =

42,577.92 grams stepped on once X $100US =

$4,257,792.00 USD X 32 =

my calculator doesn't go up that high but it is somewhere around baht 130,000,000

so either coke is much cheaper in thailand or their number is way off.

it won't do much good if your're dead though. that's wgy i will alwyas stick with san miguel light when in thailand.

[moto77]

Moto..... when, and its not so long ago... when Heroin was legal and since, Singapore was the number one port for the shipping of Heroin... Singapore made its money from Heroin... if not for that drug, there would be no Singapore.... Learn your history...

Red herring. Your statement is not a rebuttal, nor does it conflict with mine.

Singapore NOW has harsh laws and Singapore NOW has low drug use. You pointed out that when heroin was LEGAL, they had high drug use. Thank you for further establishing my point.

[TAWP]

Let's do the math:

5.4 kg X 2.2 =

11.88 pounds X 64 =

760.32 ounces X 28 =

21,288.96 grams X 2 =

42,577.92 grams stepped on once X $100US =

$4,257,792.00 USD X 32 =

my calculator doesn't go up that high but it is somewhere around baht 130,000,000

so either coke is much cheaper in thailand or their number is way off.

it won't do much good if your're dead though. that's wgy i will alwyas stick with san miguel light when in thailand.

Street-price for 1G is 3.5k Baht. Note: We don't know the purity of her packages.

Btw, you do odd conversions, metric to english and back to metric etc... 5.5kg is 5500gram...

Edited May 5, 2010 by TAWP

[tropo]

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.

I think you're getting your baht and dollars confused. According to your calculations it's worth $2,000,000, not baht.

They maybe calculating the wholesale value, not the street value.

[Jingthing]

A lot of times women who do the mule thing are intimidated into doing it by a man.

[BigC]

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.

yes it could have been stich up. anything is possible in the world. like someone said suspcious a lady comming from Peru. maybe she was a decoy for a real heavy amount of traffic.

Maybe she is quilty may she is not but i do not like to jump to conclusions just based on a story been passed around by police statements and media. its all red type

[wintermute]

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.

yes it could have been stich up. anything is possible in the world. like someone said suspcious a lady comming from Peru. maybe she was a decoy for a real heavy amount of traffic.

Maybe she is quilty may she is not but i do not like to jump to conclusions just based on a story been passed around by police statements and media. its all red type

The guys who are in charge of this stuff are deadly smart. There's a reason why it's a multi billion dollar underground industry. This woman is absolutely nothing and the product that got nabbed is nothing in Peru. I read on a few UN articles about the drug war that a processed kilo in peru only costs the cartel $500-800 to farm, process, and ship to the city. Now if it only costs the cartel about $5,000 for multiple kilos to try and smuggle into thailand something that can be worth half a million dollars or more it's a worthwhile gamble.

[Jingthing]

Hypothetical question.

If you had the choice to push a button which had a 1 percent chance of blowing you up and a 99 percent chance of winning you a million dollars, would you push it?

Now the lady here didn't have such good odds (and didn't know her precise odds) and didn't have as much to gain, and was doing a socially bad thing, but still, kind of a similar situation, eh? Would you push it? No? How about a 100 million?

Edited May 5, 2010 by Jingthing

[hawker9000]

'Sounds like she might've been a sacrificial lamb. Perhaps a total setup. The police get a "big" arrest; the real traffickers keep bringing in their drugs in bulk. Just a guess.

[enginerevision]

death penalties are never right, when does a human may decide over another humans life?

[tropo]

death penalties are never right, when does a human may decide over another humans life?

I agree. Most civilized countries have done away with the death penalty.

One of the most disturbing videos I've ever seen was the head of a Filipino drug dealer being cut off with a knife while he was awake and conscious. Not an axe, just a sharp knife being used in a sawing motion until the head was removed from the body.

[kissdani]

Possibly although there's no direct flight to Tokyo either. I believe you have to go through LA to reach Tokyo from Lima. I could be mistaken though.

There is no way she went through the US. If no direct from Lima to Japan (or whatever the Asian connection), then another South America city like Buenos Aires, Santiago, etc. This isn't really the issue here. The Thai authorities could easily determine her boarding point for her flight.

Just out of curiosity did a bit of googling on various travel sites and it seems there's no flights at all that go directly from South America to Asia.

You have to fly either through the US, South Africa or Europe.

Panama (Central America). Mexico City (North America). Sao Paolo and Rio definitely. Travel sites are often North American-centric.

North American travel sites are maybe North American-centric.

[Jingthing]

Indeed.

[kissdani]

Indeed.

World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_b...ssenger_traffic

[ThaiFelix]

Indeed.

World's busiest airports by international passenger traffic:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_b...ssenger_traffic

That link appears to go no-where.

[Ulysses G.]

Poor stupid woman....obviously I don't know if she's a drug kingpin or just a stupid mule...

Drug kingpins never carry the product themselves. They hire some poor schmuck for a pittance and let them do the time.

[Sisaketmike]

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 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.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Sisaketmike

[Sisaketmike]

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

Guess wasn't against tooth ache.....

[Sisaketmike]

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

Right, the five tons had arrived.

[Jazzmaster]

For every person that gets caught, I imagine there are 100 that don't get caught. Pretty good odds but if you draw the short straw, your life is over....

[Motoon]

Yes, she was just a mule. 5.5Kgs is an unusual high amount for a stitch up. (ONCB) Information is that the tip was from Tokyo airport. This is not official, sorry. Tokyo (NRT) airport does 100% EDS screening for all luggage including transit and quite often the chemical vapors (if unsufficient packing) trigger the alert. From there it is standard policy to inform destination airport.

Very difficult to judge punishment for a mule. It is understood that most of these people do have little choice and act out of desperation. However not to punish them would open the doors for opportunists who then mask as poor, clueless mules to turn a profit. Think about it. Furthermore it is not necessarely always the death penalty. If admission of the crime is provided the death penalty will be converted to a life sentence. If evidence is given that the person is in any way not in a position to understand the implication of their actions the sentence is further reduced. I do agree that Thai prison is not necessarely a better deal...

Final point. We don't even need to discuss the issue of the "big fish". Once in a while one is given up, more often they're untouchable. It is frustrating but nothing that a standard narcotic officer can influence. You have to understand that they basically don't work independently and just follow orders and instructions. There is generally not much personal commitment or motivation; just the desire to get through the shift without being exposed to too many risks. Given this constellation and the example set by the "big fish", it is also a logical consequence that many of these officers are involved in the trade. Yes, it is a very sad fact like many others. I just put it as it is without giving judgement.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Motoon

[ChiangMaiFun]

I do think 'death' is a permanent solution for a low ranking ‘mule’ and totally inappropriate – I guess the right people were not paid off – I do feel for her though but they will figure she’s expendable.

What about the ‘tip off’? I mean that’s odd – greasing the right palms was not given high enough priority more like – what must she be feeling? And she’s only a foot soldier – very unfair and I hope she gets a break and it’s commuted to jail time.

[bkkdawg]

She won't get the death penalty as long as she pleads guilty, her sentence will be comuted to life in the Hilton. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have thou to be honest. Very stupid indeed...

[ChiangMaiFun]

She won't get the death penalty as long as she pleads guilty, her sentence will be comuted to life in the Hilton. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have thou to be honest. Very stupid indeed...

any chance she could serve the time in her country? that would be the 'human' thing to do? she is only a backpacker - stupid? sure... desperate? certainly, should be killed? no way

Edited May 6, 2010 by ChiangMaiFun

[Jingthing]

She won't get the death penalty as long as she pleads guilty, her sentence will be comuted to life in the Hilton. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have thou to be honest. Very stupid indeed...

any chance she could serve the time in her country? that would be the 'human' thing to do? she is only a backpacker - stupid? sure... desperate? certainly, should be killed? no way

I'd say no chance. She'll have plenty of company. BTW, she's not a backpacker, candy packer more like it.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Jingthing

[ChiangMaiFun]

She won't get the death penalty as long as she pleads guilty, her sentence will be comuted to life in the Hilton. I'm not sure which one I'd rather have thou to be honest. Very stupid indeed...

any chance she could serve the time in her country? that would be the 'human' thing to do? she is only a backpacker - stupid? sure... desperate? certainly, should be killed? no way

I'd say no chance. She'll have plenty of company. BTW, she's not a backpacker, candy packer more like it.

Well... of course she's totally wrong etc. but death...? and the BIG boys who make all the money just sit in their mansions in Samui (or wherever they sit - no offence Samui!). Bit sickening - just asked a Thai friend who said 'kill her' - so that's that...

[robertson468]

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.

Very true but it does ensure the Supression Police are keeping their arrest statistics up and maximising the "tea money" donation from the Drugs Ring - c'mon Guys try and stay with the Thai stories. . Yours sincerely Sin Icle.

[Sisaketmike]

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 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.

[Jingthing]

Well... of course she's totally wrong etc. but death...? and the BIG boys who make all the money just sit in their mansions in Samui (or wherever they sit - no offence Samui!). Bit sickening - just asked a Thai friend who said 'kill her' - so that's that...

I think most westerners would be against the death penalty for being a drug mule, but this is Thailand. Their house, their rules. I hope at least she was aware of the risk she was taking coming here.

Personally I am against the death penalty except for first degree murderers which can be proven without any doubt whatsoever, DNA evidence, etc. There are too many people who have been killed by governments who were actually innocent. Also, in cases like the US where it is mostly black people who get the death penalty, it becomes a tool of racism.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Jingthing

[surangw]

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.

Narcotics surpression police are here to protect the in country drug cartel, stamp out competition

Edited May 6, 2010 by surangw