Thai Court Sentence Spanish Woman To Life In Prison For Drug Trafficking

[webfact]

Spanish woman given life in prison for drug trafficking

A Thai court on Thursday sentenced a Spanish woman to life in prison for attempting to smuggle 2.9 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine out of the country.

The Bangkok Criminal Court initially handed Maria Nieves Garcia Alcaraz, 52, the death sentence but commuted it to life imprisonment because Alcaraz pleaded guilty.

She was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in August, after 2,914 grams of crystal methamphetamines was found in her luggage.

Alcaraz was in transit at the airport, arriving from Ethiopia and heading for Bali, Indonesia

-- The Nation 2011-03-24

[sunholidaysun1]

Some People are so Stupid . Tough Sh**.

[AZBill]

I' waiting to see a headline thet reads "Thai sentenced for beating farang"

[jimbeam1]

I don't get it, 2.9 kilos. Taking it out of the Country. Surely this stuff is easily made in make shift Labs all over the world.

jb1

[jimbeam1]

I' waiting to see a headline thet reads "Thai sentenced for beating farang"

Sorry you lost me?

[dananderson]

I don't get it, 2.9 kilos. Taking it out of the Country. Surely this stuff is easily made in make shift Labs all over the world.

jb1

She was in transit from Etiopia to Bali

[Colabamumbai]

Read the laws before your come here. Do the crime do the time. This is Thailand. Why are they not smuggling more to Canada, where the max is 7 years for importing....Been there, done that.Thirty five years ago, smuggling drugs out of Don Muang it was the death penalty, no ifs and buts, maybe a pardon from the King, but not likely for drugs. A prisoner exchange program, they did not have them then. Know that your embassy cannot help you, other than to relay messages. Why the ____ would you want to smuggle drugs into, in transit, or out of Thailand?

[richieudon]

I don't get it, 2.9 kilos. Taking it out of the Country. Surely this stuff is easily made in make shift Labs all over the world.

jb1

She was in transit from Etiopia to Bali

It does seem weird that someone would produce crystal meth in Ethiopia to be taken to Bali (where they give you the death sentence) via Thailand.

Som nam na, there is enough warning all over the world as to what happens if you're caught

[dananderson]

I don't get it, 2.9 kilos. Taking it out of the Country. Surely this stuff is easily made in make shift Labs all over the world.

jb1

She was in transit from Etiopia to Bali

It does seem weird that someone would produce crystal meth in Ethiopia to be taken to Bali (where they give you the death sentence) via Thailand.

Som nam na, there is enough warning all over the world as to what happens if you're caught

It is weird. Probably paid by some cartel that has global designs. She is lucky that she was caught here as it has been a while since the death penalty has been carried out on a farang of western decent. Had she been caught in transit with that amount in Singapore her days would be numbered. I don't know about the justice system in Bali.

[asiawatcher]

Som num na -

[dru2]

All farang are 'of Western descent' by definition. When was one ever executed in Thailand? This century, anyway - not Phaulkon.

[jackdawson]

way to go thai law enforcement

[Beetlejuice]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

[rakman]

I don't get it, 2.9 kilos. Taking it out of the Country. Surely this stuff is easily made in make shift Labs all over the world.

jb1

She was in transit from Etiopia to Bali

It does seem weird that someone would produce crystal meth in Ethiopia to be taken to Bali (where they give you the death sentence) via Thailand.

Som nam na, there is enough warning all over the world as to what happens if you're caught

Cheap flight?

[Bakseedaa]

Read the laws before your come here. Do the crime do the time. This is Thailand. Why are they not smuggling more to Canada, where the max is 7 years for importing....Been there, done that.Thirty five years ago, smuggling drugs out of Don Muang it was the death penalty, no ifs and buts, maybe a pardon from the King, but not likely for drugs. A prisoner exchange program, they did not have them then. Know that your embassy cannot help you, other than to relay messages. Why the ____ would you want to smuggle drugs into, in transit, or out of Thailand?

One reason and one reason only.....MONEY.. If you are broke and hungry, the carrot does not have to be so Big............................. she was a mule, why not just tattoo her forehead and set her free..?

[baboon]

Some people sadly never seem to learn. Smuggling drugs into/out of/through Thailand = Really Bad Idea.

A good chance of being caught,no sympathy from the Thai authorities or your Embassy and many years incarcerated in inuman conditions.

I read in a book once: Before committing a crime,go and look at the Jail you will be locked up in if you are caught and then decide whether the crime is really worth the risk.Me,I would rather be skint than face the delights of the Thai penal system.

[drdoom6996]

way to go thai law enforcement

Now get the Thai kid with the Beemer and the rich father to to her time. Won't happen.

[MaxYakov]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Reality check: All judicial systems presume guilt. They couldn't work any other way. Presumption of innocence occurs only at a trial, if it occurs at all.

[Sabre]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

Reality check: All judicial systems presume guilt. They couldn't work any other way. Presumption of innocence occurs only at a trial, if it occurs at all.

Absolute nonsense. Otherwise the entire population would be locked in jail until proven innocent in a court of law.

[dunkin2012]

Som num na -

Ka La Hua hahaha

Being in a jail isn't very nice thing specially the Thai jails

Edited March 25, 2011 by dunkin2012

[NCFC]

Read the laws before your come here. Do the crime do the time. This is Thailand. Why are they not smuggling more to Canada, where the max is 7 years for importing....Been there, done that.Thirty five years ago, smuggling drugs out of Don Muang it was the death penalty, no ifs and buts, maybe a pardon from the King, but not likely for drugs. A prisoner exchange program, they did not have them then. Know that your embassy cannot help you, other than to relay messages. Why the ____ would you want to smuggle drugs into, in transit, or out of Thailand?

for the money??

[NCFC]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

She was caught with the stuff in her possession.

[Beetlejuice]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

She was caught with the stuff in her possession.

That is not absolute proof she is guilty.

The stuff could have been planted on her and the woman was unaware she was carrying the drugs, plus lots of other possibilities.

Being in possession is not proof of intent.

[Mugg]

And if this woman really was innocent and pleaded her innocence, does this mean that she would have been put to death if she had not pleaded guilty?

Sounds like a catch 22 to me.

In South east Asia, you are guilty until proven innocent.

She was caught with the stuff in her possession.

That is not absolute proof she is guilty.

The stuff could have been planted on her and the woman was unaware she was carrying the drugs, plus lots of other possibilities.

Being in possession is not proof of intent.

Reasonable Doubt might be why she got Life and not the Death Penalty ..

[Jingthing]

Being a mule is a serious crime but she is a nobody compared to the people behind her (who are likely partying right now and are untouchable). So her life is wasted now. OK, this is my bleeding heart liberal side, but wouldn't it be a better result for everyone if someone like her instead of being thrown in rathole was compelled to live in poverty for life on the outside and to work for free doing menial tasks for drug rehabilitation facilities? Yeah she might run but they could take her passport so not so easy.

[DP25]

I don't know how she could think that a European arriving from Ethiopia in transit to a third country party island would be likely to just sail through airports without attracting attention

[Jingthing]

I don't know how she could think that a European arriving from Ethiopia in transit to a third country party island would be likely to just sail through airports without attracting attention

She now has lots and lots of time to think about how she could have thought that. Was she lucky or unlucky to be caught in Thailand instead of Indonesia?

[lovenim]

It's really very simple: Legalise ALL drugs & use EDUCATION rather than intimidation & dis/mis-information.

That way, total numbers of heavy drug abusers actually go down.

The more draconian the measures against drug use/distribution & the more the subject is taboo the more drugs are used.

With legalisation, no more hapless desperate mules & no rich gangsters behind them.

Instead, quality control & plenty taxes for the government.

Why not? Really.

[Canada]

On her way to Indonesia....lucky she got caught here. She is alive.

[dananderson]

I don't know how she could think that a European arriving from Ethiopia in transit to a third country party island would be likely to just sail through airports without attracting attention

She now has lots and lots of time to think about how she could have thought that. Was she lucky or unlucky to be caught in Thailand instead of Indonesia?

Exactly. I attempted to explore this issue earlier There have been movies and an Australian mini-series with Nicole Kidman that addresses this very subject. Both of those stories evolve around confessing or rather signing a confession and pleading guilty to avoid the death sentnece. I know it has been a long time since the death penalty has been used on a first world country that Thailand has good relations with for drug trafficking. Singapore takes a very hard line approach and an Australian was put to death there regardless of all the pleas from the Aussie gov't and Amensty Int'l recently. That poor lad was in transit from Cambodia to australia. Again not sure how draconian the justice system is in Bali, but am curious as well. .

I was in Singapore 3 times last year and it is the cleanest and safe big city I have traveld to in years.