Mozambique Woman Caught With Drugs In Phuket

[webfact]

Mozambique woman caught with drugs in Phuket

The Nation

PHUKET: -- A Mozambique woman was caught smuggling in six kilograms of methamphetamine worth Bt21 million at Phuket International Airport, police said yesterday.

Customs officers randomly checked arriving passenger Hortencia Ferreira Novela, 37, and the X-ray of her black suitcase found suspicious items. They opened the baggage and found a hidden purple briefcase containing two plastic bags filled with yaba. The bags were wrapped in carbon paper and clear tape.

Novela left Mozambique by Kenya Airways to connect to flights at Nairobi in Kenya, Doha in Qatar and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to reach Phuket. The suspect said she was hired for Bt50,000 to deliver the briefcase to someone at Patong Beach in Kathu district. It was her first time to visit the resort island.

Police are tracking down her contact by tracing calls on her mobile phone, which records show she used many times to complete her work.

Customs Department director-general Bencha Luicha-roen said the department has enforced policies to control and suppress the illicit drug trade by ordering its Phuket airport officials to conduct strict inspections. -

-- The Nation 2012-10-15

[webfact]

African woman caught with 6kg of meth at Phuket Airport

Phuket Gazette

Phuket Airport Customs Director Montira Cherchoo shows where the drugs were hidden in the suitcase. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

Phuket Customs officials searched the suitcase after the x-ray machine showed an anomaly hidden within. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Customs officials at Phuket International Airport arrested a Mozambique woman attempting to smuggle six kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) into the country on Saturday night.

Officials estimate that the drugs had an estimated street value 21 million baht.

Airport Customs Director Montira Cherchoo said that Mrs Hortencia Ferreira Novela, 37, was arrested after Customs officials found the drugs hidden in the suitcase the woman was carrying.

“When her bag went through the x-ray machine, Customs officers noticed there was no computer in the laptop bag inside. They searched the suitcase and found that the laptop bag lining had been cut and two bags containing the drugs had been inserted,” Ms Montira explained.

“The bags containing the drugs had been covered with carbon paper,” she added.

Ms Novela arrived on board a flight that originated in Doha, Qatar, but arrived in Phuket via Kuala Lumpur.

“This was her first trip to Thailand. She arrived at Phuket International Airport at around 4:30pm and she planned to travel back to her country on October 22,” Ms Montira said.

“Officers found an SMS on the mobile phone Ms Novela was carrying, telling her to go to a specific hotel room in Patong,” she added.

Ms Novela has been charged by Tah Chat Chai police with drug possession and trafficking. Police are questioning her for further details.

According to the CIA Factbook, despite a brutal civil war lasting decades ending in 1992, Mozambique remains one of the poorest countries on the African continent.

More than half of last year’s national budget was provided by international aid.

Spiraling prices of everyday necessities prompted street riots in the capital Maputo in 2010.

Source:http://www.phuketgazette.net/archives/articles/2012/article19175.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2012-10-15

[jerrysteve]

Well there goes a 100 years of her life in the grey bar hotel...Hope she likes the food.

[laurentbkk]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

[JohanBKK]

She knew the risks, who would want to pay someone "big" money to carry a bag full of legal stuff ?

[Havco]

OK, wrong choice!

Drug mule never a good idea.

However given where the woman is from 50,000Bt could feed her family and take care of her sick mother...Do you know the reason? Do you really think she wanted to do this?????

Yes a life sentence behind bars, but we could than ask how many local bar girls and boys for that matter have HIV and AIDS and have done the same to support their family!!!

Is there anyone on Thai visa that can think outside a box???

Edited October 15, 2012 by Havco

[me313]

OK, wrong choice!

Drug mule never a good idea.

However given where the woman is from 50,000Bt could feed her family and take care of her sick mother...Do you know the reason? Do you really think she wanted to do this?????

Yes a life sentence behind bars, but we could than ask how many local bar girls and boys for that matter have HIV and AIDS and have done the same to support their family!!!

Is there anyone on Thai visa that can think outside a box???

finally someone writing something (besides me) that has some compassion for the plight of poor people. However, some people sell drugs just out of greed even if they are poor. If things like the exploitation of the poor were given a lot more notice, less poor people would be in prison, it's really the crime not the drugs.

[rollrunna]

even the cleaner getting in on the Photo Op....?

[Mike West]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

this is a pretty narrow minded post, you don't know her background and what else was used as an "incentive" to make her do this, usually mules don't have a choice. Go read a book or google it.

[johnopolo]

OK, wrong choice!

Drug mule never a good idea.

However given where the woman is from 50,000Bt could feed her family and take care of her sick mother...Do you know the reason? Do you really think she wanted to do this?????

Yes a life sentence behind bars, but we could than ask how many local bar girls and boys for that matter have HIV and AIDS and have done the same to support their family!!!

Is there anyone on Thai visa that can think outside a box???

The only square that's applicable here is the prison cell. And what AIDS infected bar girls have to do with this drug mule is beyond me. What can we expect from you next: a bleeding-heart compassion call for the rapists out there ... or the paedophiles. Grief....

[McMagus]

OK, wrong choice!

Drug mule never a good idea.

However given where the woman is from 50,000Bt could feed her family and take care of her sick mother...Do you know the reason? Do you really think she wanted to do this?????

Yes a life sentence behind bars, but we could than ask how many local bar girls and boys for that matter have HIV and AIDS and have done the same to support their family!!!

Is there anyone on Thai visa that can think outside a box???

The only square that's applicable here is the prison cell. And what AIDS infected bar girls have to do with this drug mule is beyond me. What can we expect from you next: a bleeding-heart compassion call for the rapists out there ... or the paedophiles. Grief....

Thats what I like to see johnopolo, someone who does not see the world in just Black and White and can understand the nuances and shades of grey in this world we share. Looking forward to more insightful posts from you.

[Beetlejuice]

She took the risk for an alleged fee of 50000 baht.

Let’s guess she receives a sentence of 20 years, if she’s lucky. That’s 2500 baht ($82) per year for her time and suffering.

Does that sound like a good business proposition to you?

[technologybytes]

This is indeed a very sad story. Personally I feel very sorry for the woman, it's easy to sit behind a computer and say that she should have known better, but you nor I know the circumstances or the reasons, it's even possible that she was pressured of forced to be a courier.

Really, she is a victim and desserves some understanding and pity, it's very sad to think that she will be locked up for a long time when se is just a pawn in the bigger game.

[MahaYellow]

I have noticed that the comments are far less sympathetic

than for farangs caught with drugs.

Or is it my imagination ?

[Gweiloman]

I would more respect a prostitute that sells her body in order to feed her family than one who is partly responsible for inflicting drug addiction and possibly death onto others.

[uty6543]

OK, wrong choice!

Drug mule never a good idea.

However given where the woman is from 50,000Bt could feed her family and take care of her sick mother...Do you know the reason? Do you really think she wanted to do this?????

Yes a life sentence behind bars, but we could than ask how many local bar girls and boys for that matter have HIV and AIDS and have done the same to support their family!!!

Is there anyone on Thai visa that can think outside a box???

finally someone writing something (besides me) that has some compassion for the plight of poor people. However, some people sell drugs just out of greed even if they are poor. If things like the exploitation of the poor were given a lot more notice, less poor people would be in prison, it's really the crime not the drugs.

I have no compassion for people who break the law if they are rich or poor. If you start to relax the law for poor people where does it stop. Do they get a "get out of gaol free card" for murder?

[bridge2bridge]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

You call B50,000( $us 1,600) BIG money.

My god i would not do that for B 1 million.

In for a long time.

STUPID woman.

NO pity at all.

[bridge2bridge]

My God another one-- will they never learn.

Appears not.

Now 37 will be in her sixties when she gets out, if she is lucky.

Stupid woman, no pity for some one who does this.

[MitchellDeanEde]

They should have sent her to the hotel and at least tried to catch the Patong dealer.

[bridge2bridge]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

this is a pretty narrow minded post, you don't know her background and what else was used as an "incentive" to make her do this, usually mules don't have a choice. Go read a book or google it.

What a load of crap.

Mules DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE.

My God what a stupid statement.

Of coarse they have a choice.

DO IT OR NOT.

GREED my friend GREED.

[frankold]

I would more respect a prostitute that sells her body in order to feed her family than one who is partly responsible for inflicting drug addiction and possibly death onto others.

Finding a 9 to 5 job that pays the going rate doesn't provide a salary nowadays? Plenty of girls working in 7/11 in Bangkok or elsewhere have children and parents to care for.

Most of the prostitution over here is done thru greed and laziness.

[Arkady]

Well there goes a 100 years of her life in the grey bar hotel...Hope she likes the food.

If it had happened during her transit in KL, she would to take the drop.

I wonder why someone would pay to have yaa baa transported from Mozambique to Phuket. Must be a lot cheaper to source it from Burma.

[Arkady]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

this is a pretty narrow minded post, you don't know her background and what else was used as an "incentive" to make her do this, usually mules don't have a choice. Go read a book or google it.

What a load of crap.

Mules DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE.

My God what a stupid statement.

Of coarse they have a choice.

DO IT OR NOT.

GREED my friend GREED.

Yes, they have choice. There is a beautiful highway from Maputo to the South African border built by South Africa which is crammed with buses taking migrant workers and their belongings back and forth. She looks young enough to easily be able to find work in South Africa.

[crazykopite]

When people are desperate they do desperate things like this poor woman if she can assist the police in finding out who the delivery is for then they in return should deport her back to her own Country without charge, Thailand cannot afford to keep farangs in jail for many years you only have to look at the poor people in this Country scrimping in the bins everyday. Drug taking /dealing is a very bad and evil but as stated Thailand cannot afford to have all these non Thais in jail send them back to where they came from !!!!!!!!!!!

[chrisinth]

For all the bleeding hearts out there siding on this lady, please do me a favour and 'think outside the box' (thanks for the phrase Havco!) yourselves.

You all seem to have jumped to the conclusion that this woman is a "forced" drug mule, who in this case was in charge of drugs with a street value of 21 million baht. She has admitted being paid for the service, so it hasn't been planted on her; she was well aware of what she was doing.

The people who transport this amount of drugs are professional people, fact!! If you think the source would trust a 'forced' person with that amount of drugs, think again. They would be showing signs of extreme anxiety, prone to panic attacks, etc, etc, etc. All the outward signs that customs officials in every country are trained to spot.

Do not fall for the BS which ensues everytime one of them is caught!

My big problem with the story is why someone would import/smuggle meth into Thailand from such a distance, if indeed it did originate in Mozambique. The X-ray shot shown in the OP shows up like a pair of b0ll0cks at a ladyboys night-out.................

Extremely strange that she got as far as Phuket without being discovered.

Edited October 15, 2012 by chrisinth

[kiniyow]

I realize that many take this risk to help there Family or a sick loved one--Whatever the reason...

Then I knew a guy that came from a decent family..Lazy wanting the Big Fast Money..The Thrill of the Game and after pulling a 10 year stint in a Large prison in Europe for selling this junk to make Easy money Returned to doing the exact same thing after a 10 year lock up...

He was Found dead with a Needle stuck in his arm and a few Million Dollars in the Bank...He was by Choice a drug Mule for at least 20 years and never knew any other type of work...

[koto]

I wonder until when those mules will realized how stupid it is even for big money.

You call B50,000( $us 1,600) BIG money.

My god i would not do that for B 1 million.

In for a long time.

STUPID woman.

NO pity at all.

So it sounds like you would, for the right price, how about B 2 million.

Keeping in mind, she probably would rather had sold her body for sex as the punishment isn't quit as severe.

So much assume-ING ass u me, I seldom get involved with posting, I'm to busy shaking my head on most of these unthoughtful post.

They do make me feel so much better, about me, myself and I, realizing if we are 1 shy, of a six pack, there must be many that drank the six pack plus.

Some of you posters are so right, not knowing anything about her, the pressure that could have been put on her, the promise from her friend, that it was fail safe, her starving children, B 50,000 to her could be B 10 million to others.

To many people judge others, by their upbringing or the gifted life they have had, never starving, always had a bed, roof, food, baht, until one has walked the walk, one should never feel that they have the power or right to be judge and jury by only talkin the talk.

Some of you posters, I respect you understanding, compassion, not condemning a lost soul, trying to survive, yes packin drugs is wrong, get the packer and the receiver, give the one caught in the middle a little mercy...

[bumpkin]

They should have sent her to the hotel and at least tried to catch the Patong dealer.

Agree !

If what we read is the whole story, then it is surprising they didn't go after the customer in Patong.

The woman is obviously suggestible, so I am sure they could have persuaded her to play along.

One would hope that they are liaising with Mozambique authorities to identify that end of the business.

This woman is only a small fish in a big and murky pool.

A conviction and just sentence will stop her, but will do nothing to stop this Traffic.

[witchhunter]

If only to think about how many lives of Thai people would be ruined by drug dealers and this includes this particular drug mule, the answer can be only DEATH PENALTY for trafficking of heavy drugs. Taking the case more personally, a farther of my wife ended up his life on drugs and before he died he made poor his kids by selling his family farm. My wife worked since age of 12 y. and had very hard life before we got married when she was already 31 y. My message to all simpatisants of the criminals: I wish you all got addicted on drugs, and your dear kids, and your close relatives and all you die in suffering. Then I will be sorry about you.

[Halion]

Regardless of the various positions of individual members expressing everything from sympathy to rage, it is a given that none of us have any substantive information on the actual circumstances.

Two facts stand out in my mind on this issue. One is that with her apprehension at least this batch of poison is of the streets unless it goes missing from police custody, (high probability) and two, is that I agree with the comment of an earlier post as to why they simply did not follow the mule to her destination and intercept the buyer's agent and get more for less so to speak, unless of course they they are too scared to rock the boat.

Drug mules so often, are nothing more than hapless victims of far more sinister players,and as seen by this and countless other "busts" they are totally expendable.