Filipina Arrested At Suvarnabhumi With 4Kg Cocaine

[webfact]

Filipino woman arrested with 4.1 kgs of cocaine

BANGKOK: -- A Filipino woman has been arrested for allegedly smuggling 4.16 kgs of cocaine into the country.

Narcotics Suppression Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Atitep Panjamanon held a press conference Monday to announce the arrest of Icoy Betlehem Mamontong, 32.

She was arrested at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport upon arrival from Lima, Peru.

Atitep quoted her as saying she was hired for US$4,000 to deliver the drug to someone in Vietnam.

-- The Nation 2010-08-02

[BSJ]

They know it's wrong, but still do it! No sympathy from me.

[bkkjames]

Another one choosing to stop off in BKK before going to a 3rd country for final delivery of the drugs?

[mrtoad]

Hmm, seems to be a number of these doing a run from Lima, stopping in BKK and getting caught.

[dantilley]

Didn't know there were direct flights from Lima to Bangkok, anyone know which airline offers this route?

[Radicalguy]

Ouch!

[Jimbo]

A Filipino flying in from Peru.... You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to see that its suspicious.

[sharking]

what a waist of a life,just say no to drugs

[webfact]

UPDATE

Myanmar, Filipino nabbed in separate drug smuggling cases

BANGKOK: -- A Myanmar man was arrested for smuggling 20 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as 'ice,' worth Bt60 million (over US$1.8 million) together with two bombs in Chiang Mai, while a Filipino woman was detained at Suvarnabhumi Airport with four kilos of cocaine, Thai police said on Monday.

Laota Yang, a Myanmar man of Chinese origin, was arrested near the Thai-Myanmar border at Doi Angkhang in Chiang Mai's Fang district with crystal meth valued at Bt60 million and two explosive devices.

Following a tip that Mr Yang was a major drug agent in the northern region, combined forces of narcotics suppression police and Border Patrol Police Region 3 feigned buying the illicit drug from the suspect for Bt900,000 (over $2,700) per kilo.

Mr Yang was charged with possessing the illicit drug for sale and having explosive devices without legal permission.

In another drug-related case, the narcotics suppression police detained Icoy Bethlehem Mamontong, a 32-year-old Filipino woman, with four kilos of cocaine concealed in aluminium foil coffee bags at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Ms Mamontong was allegedly hired by a transnational drug syndicate to smuggle the cocaine from the Peruvian capital of Lima into Thailand, intending to sell the drugs to tourists and Thais alike in tourist destinations.

Police charged her with possessing and smuggling the drug for resale in the kingdom. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-08-02

[Boater]

first report

Atitep quoted her as saying she was hired for US$4,000 to deliver the drug to someone in Vietnam.

second report

Ms Mamontong was allegedly hired by a transnational drug syndicate to smuggle the cocaine from the Peruvian capital of Lima into Thailand, intending to sell the drugs to tourists and Thais alike in tourist destinations.

conflicting reports here .... where they for Thailand or destinded for Vietnam?

[sam666]

4 thousand usd lol .... talk about underpaid if she made it through.

bye bye life.

Edited August 2, 2010 by sam666

[Boater]

4 thousand usd lol .... talk about underpaid if she made it through.

bye bye life.

remember most Filipinos are sometimes only on 200 USD a month !

[Humphrey Bear]

Is this the same article as was posted a couple of months ago?

This woman is slightly younger, but the journey is the same and the amount of cocaine is the same.

Something strange about all this.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Humphrey Bear

[Jimbo]

The going rate for smuggling coke from the Caribbean to Europe used to be 5000 USD per kilo. South America to Asia should be even more due to the hefty penalties. So 4 kilos should have been at least 20.000 USD.

[Wozzit]

Didn't know there were direct flights from Lima to Bangkok, anyone know which airline offers this route?

None. She'd have had to transit at least once. I assume therefore the drugs were in a bag in the cargo hold.

What a totally stupid and dangerous thing to attempt!

[iko]

Sorry for the girl. he's gonna do a long long stretch.

[RedNIvar]

The going rate for smuggling coke from the Caribbean to Europe used to be 5000 USD per kilo. South America to Asia should be even more due to the hefty penalties. So 4 kilos should have been at least 20.000 USD.

How do you know the going rate?

Is there a web site offering drug mule services, with a list of drug carrier rates?

Just read Super Freakanomics and have a better idea now how much call girls make. This woman would probably be better off working as a call girl in South America. Carrying drugs into a country that will hang you, is like playing Russian roulette using a loaded gun with one bullet removed.

Wise....not.

[thailandbluegrass]

Poor girl. I hope they find the gang that hired her. You guys don't even understand the half of it when you say you have no sympathy etc. Sme thing in these cases happens about the same way they do with human trafficing in the UAE etc. They take the girls and threaten to kill their entre family if they don't prostitute themselves and even recruit others. Also if any of you were raised in a third world country where you see your own family and many people starving every day and have no prospects of making money through and honest living you all might just do the same.

Noone knows this poor girls personal story yet so lets stop all the smart remarks and THINK.

Many of you sit on your high horses collecting pensions etc living like kings here in LOS and never even think about the poor. Many of you even contribute to their sad lives by using them as prostitutes etc so try not to be so judgmental until you hear her side of the story.

[Jimbo]

How do you know the going rate?

Is there a web site offering drug mule services, with a list of drug carrier rates?

No but I did live and work about 10 years ago on a Caribbean island which was a major transport point for coke heading to Europe. I was approached several times by people I met there to take the stuff to Holland but I always refused. That's how I know the prices.

Edited August 2, 2010 by Jimbo

[TAWP]

How do you know the going rate?

Is there a web site offering drug mule services, with a list of drug carrier rates?

No but I did live and work about 10 years ago on a Caribbean island which was a major transport point for coke heading to Europe. I was approached several times by people I met there to take the stuff to Holland but I always refused. That's how I know the prices.

One note, you will always be asked a different wave than a person from the third world beeing asked to take the merchandize to a third world country.

[nisakiman]

Poor girl. I hope they find the gang that hired her. You guys don't even understand the half of it when you say you have no sympathy etc. Sme thing in these cases happens about the same way they do with human trafficing in the UAE etc. They take the girls and threaten to kill their entre family if they don't prostitute themselves and even recruit others. Also if any of you were raised in a third world country where you see your own family and many people starving every day and have no prospects of making money through and honest living you all might just do the same.

Noone knows this poor girls personal story yet so lets stop all the smart remarks and THINK.

Many of you sit on your high horses collecting pensions etc living like kings here in LOS and never even think about the poor. Many of you even contribute to their sad lives by using them as prostitutes etc so try not to be so judgmental until you hear her side of the story.

:clap2:

Yes, a lot of people are very quick to moralise from the comfort of their ivory towers.

[jimky]

Poor girl. I hope they find the gang that hired her. You guys don't even understand the half of it when you say you have no sympathy etc. Sme thing in these cases happens about the same way they do with human trafficing in the UAE etc. They take the girls and threaten to kill their entre family if they don't prostitute themselves and even recruit others. Also if any of you were raised in a third world country where you see your own family and many people starving every day and have no prospects of making money through and honest living you all might just do the same.

Noone knows this poor girls personal story yet so lets stop all the smart remarks and THINK.

Many of you sit on your high horses collecting pensions etc living like kings here in LOS and never even think about the poor. Many of you even contribute to their sad lives by using them as prostitutes etc so try not to be so judgmental until you hear her side of the story.

Awesome post, sincerely thanks for making it.

[xgator]

luxury problems vs. survival tactics

[hagler]

4 thousand usd lol .... talk about underpaid if she made it through.

bye bye life.

remember most Filipinos are sometimes only on 200 USD a month !

and over 10 million of of them are living on less than $2 a day. Why cant people see that 99% of these "mules" from 3rd world countries have not a lot of other options left for them. Not saying it is right but if put into their shoes and I had some of the pressures applied and was lacking in the educational skills and I really needed the money for a sick family member then it probably would be me on that plane.

[daoyai]

Nice to see some compassion on a TV drug thread, it is still early though, the hang em high crew is still sleeping it off....... I don't have much sympathy for the Chineese;burmese guy though.

[crusty]

4 thousand usd lol .... talk about underpaid if she made it through.

bye bye life.

remember most Filipinos are sometimes only on 200 USD a month !

And the Bangla Desh garment workers are striking because their wage is USD70 a month

[junglist]

Many mulls have no choice. The drug gangs hold their family’s hostage well they make their runs.

[marvinberry]

Her actions were dangerous. Her punishment will be severe. Who knows her exact circumstances - but she must be bricking it now.

[Wozzit]

Many mulls have no choice. The drug gangs hold their family's hostage well they make their runs.

If that's their modus operandi, I don't quite understand it. Anyone who is scared just cannot act naturally on arrival at a strange airport. Immigration and customs will notice sweat on her forehead. Her nervousness will also be picked up by the cctv cameras dotted all over the place, plus by the security and customs people behind their dark windows. So the chance of this person succeeding in getting the drugs through are minimal. What use is it to the drug gangs to have their drugs discovered and confiscated? Provided drugs are sealed in such a way that sniffer dogs and scanners will not pick them up, the gangs really need experienced actors - not young ladies scared out of their wits.

[bhatmasterson]

Many mulls have no choice. The drug gangs hold their family's hostage well they make their runs.

If that's their modus operandi, I don't quite understand it. Anyone who is scared just cannot act naturally on arrival at a strange airport. Immigration and customs will notice sweat on her forehead. Her nervousness will also be picked up by the cctv cameras dotted all over the place, plus by the security and customs people behind their dark windows. So the chance of this person succeeding in getting the drugs through are minimal. What use is it to the drug gangs to have their drugs discovered and confiscated? Provided drugs are sealed in such a way that sniffer dogs and scanners will not pick them up, the gangs really need experienced actors - not young ladies scared out of their wits.

Maybe this young lady was supposed to be apprehended while the "experienced actors" made it through. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the lady was set up before she was even picked to be part of the operation.