Just when you think you've heard all the stupid things that people can do, something like this comes along!
The greed and ignorance of some folks just simply amazes me...daily! Why in the world would someone take this kind of chance with their life? The money wasn't even that good considering the possible outcome!
Trafficking suspect held
He's accused of swallowing 85 cocaine condoms
By DANE SCHILLERHe's accused of swallowing 85 cocaine condoms
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
It took five hours and four minutes, but a suspected drug trafficker finally surrendered the spoils: 85 condoms of cocaine he allegedly swallowed and intended to smuggle from Houston to France.
Housrou Kedji is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court Friday after being caught as he tried to board an Air France flight leaving Bush Intercontinental Airport. He is charged with two counts of drug-trafficking.
The 42-year-old citizen of the African nation of Togo gave up 2.2 pounds of his illicit cargo while sitting on a special no-flow toilet under the eyes of federal agents and doctors at a local hospital.
Kedji's undoing apparently began when tried to board the Flight 639 four weeks ago.
He was so nervous he drew the attention of Customs and Border Protection inspectors questioning travelers, according to an affidavit filed in federal court.
The night of his arrest, Kedji's hands were shaking, his heart was racing, and he gave conflicting stories of what he'd been up to while visiting Houston, the affidavit says.
He supposedly confessed that he had traveled to Houston from Togo, and was headed to Switzerland. His pay for the job was to be 5,000 Euros, or nearly $6,500.
The cocaine was parceled into packets of a few grams apiece and wrapped in the condoms. Suspicions were confirmed by a hospital X-ray machine.
One risk is death
Known as "swallowers," such traffickers face risks on two fronts.
Getting caught by federal inspectors could mean prison. Having a condom break could unleash a brutal overdose death.
In other instances, swallowers have been known to use the sliced off tips of latex gloves.
It is unclear how Kedji will plead to the two trafficking-related charges when he is brought before a magistrate.
Kedji requested a French interpreter. His lawyer, Melissa Martin, declined to comment.
Problem for Houston
Mike Vigil, a retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent who was the director of international operations, said the arrest underscores how Houston is a trampoline for sneaking narcotics not only into the United States from South America and Mexico, but on to Europe and elsewhere.
The odds of catching Kedji were about zero, if he had just stayed calm and blended into passengers leaving the country, Vigil said.
"A lot of these guys may be a first-time courier," he said. "They are perspiring and do stupid things to bring attention to themselves.
"You get these guys thinking, 'I am going to get caught, going to go to the jail,'" he said. "They are at the point where they are shaking."
dane.schiller@chron.com
Stories like this almost make you ashamed to admit that these folks are part of the same species! We can only hope that this kind of stupidity isn't catching!
Almost wish one of those condoms had sprung a leak!
Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit in the kitchen. It's way too hot to sit on the patio...sorry!
8 comments:
http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/E-N/Narcotics-Policy-Drugs-in-the-united-states.html
Until 1914 or so you could buy all narcotics OTC.
I think we should place garbage cans of morphine sulfate at the court house. Come one come all. Help yourself. The garbage truck can police up bodies morning and night. Who cares if an ineffectual kills himself?
Now you get an idea of why they call drugs DOPE!!! :-)
I say punch them in the stomach and see if they live. If they live then give them a couple bars of Exlax and get the goods. Then more Exlax just to give them that cleaned out felling. Exlax cleans like a white tornado. Thanks for another great lesson.
Hey Vlad...
I heard once that over half of the prison population was in for drug charges! Amazing!
Glad I never tried them!
I appreciate the visit today!
Hey Ben...
Certainly a good name for it, I think!
Hey Buddy, thanks for the visit today!
Hey Mechanic...
Makes you wondr why someone would do this, doesn't it?
Wonder if they gave him some reading material to PASS the time?
Pretty darn sick, if you ask me!
Thanks for coming by today!
0_o
..."almost wish one of those condoms had sprung a leak"...rewrite: i wish a few of those condoms burst simultaneously,then the others who "swallowed" would also get "nervous",wondering if they would be next to die......easy pickin's for 'security'
...anyway,those "swallowers" travel in groups,typically 3 to 5,diverse individuals,which co-op like a cell,almost guaranteeing some product hits the destination...(from friend,and former LEO)
I believe it's a testament to how desperate the people the drug cartel's get to do this are rather than a case of them being 'dumb'. Unsophisticated, poor, desperate. They take the fall for the ones who make the money. Sad situation all around.
Not sure exactly why a person woud endanger their own life this way for money, but then sometimes desparate folks do desparate (and stupid) things. There's no accounting for lack of intelligence.
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