-Caveat Lector-
From
http://www.guardian.co.uk/drugs/Story/0,2763,627492,00.html
>>>First, they import themselves, then they import slavery along with
their "government"; NOW, they're complaining about being repaid. Go
figure. A<>E<>R<<<
}}}>Begin
One in 10 on flights from Jamaica to UK 'is drug mule'
Nick Hopkins, crime correspondent
Friday January 4, 2002
The Guardian
A senior British diplomat in Jamaica provoked a furore yesterday by
claiming that more than one in 10 passengers flying to Britain from
the island were smuggling cocaine.
The remarks of the deputy high commissioner, Phil Sinkinson, were
challenged by UK customs and excise officers, who said there were no
figures on the number of so-called drug mules to support what he was
saying.
Officials at Air Jamaica, the main carrier between the two countries,
were also sceptical.
But Scotland Yard, which has a unit dedicated to investigating the activities of
Jamaican Yardie dr
ug gangs operating in London, privately backed Mr Sinkinson, saying there was "nothing
unusual" abo
ut flights packed with
so many smugglers.
The apparent rift underlines mounting police concern about the ease with which cocaine
is brought i
nto the country. This is thought to be a factor in recent sharp increases in gun crime
and shooting
s in London's black com
munities. Drug smuggling from Jamaica is thought to account for half of the cocaine on
the streets
of Britain.
The Metropolitan police believes that customs and excise, which takes the lead in
smuggling issues,
does not have the resources to tackle the problem on its own.
In his remarks, Mr Sinkinson said 10% of passengers were couriers, and that each
flight from Jamaic
a to London was probably carrying a total of 30kg (66lb) of cocaine hidden in plastic
bags swallowe
d by the smugglers.
"It's very difficult to estimate exactly how many passengers on any flight have got
cocaine hidden
inside them but that's probably an estimate on the low side," he said. "There's
certainly a fair nu
mber and each one can b
e carrying half a kilo. If you had 60 people on board the flight, there would be 30
kilos of cocain
e going through."
Mr Sinkinson said "pretty desperate poverty" was the motivation for many couriers, who
were single
mothers.
"It's very important for them to be able to get hold of a fast buck to look after the
family. If yo
u consider you have a British Airways flight and an Air Jamaica flight going out every
day, more or
less, you need tremend
ous resources to screen every passenger."
Mr Sinkinson referred to two seizures last month, at Gatwick and Heathrow, in which
more than 40 pe
ople were arrested as they disembarked. Drugs worth �250,000 were seized.
But customs and excise expressed surprise at Mr Sinkinson's claims. "We do not have
any figures at
the moment that reflect that situation," a spokesman said.
"We do not know where he got them from. It would not be accurate to say that many
people are coming
through every time. Using drugs mules is only a very small part of the smuggling
problem."
The Met, which has officers based in Jamaica helping to target smugglers and dealers,
took a differ
ent tack.
"One in 10 is a proportion we would agree with," said a source. "This is a huge
problem. Most of th
ese drugs mules are women who come from poor backgrounds. We are working closely with
the police in
Jamaica, but security
checks on people coming into the UK must be increased."
Mr Sinkinson was also supported by Avon and Somerset police, which has been leading
its own study i
nto drug smuggling. "The figures that have been quoted are in line with our
intelligence," one dete
ctive said.
Air Jamaica said it was unfair to blame the airline for the smuggling. "We have strict
security mea
sures and we work closely with the police in the UK and Jamaica, but it is extremely
difficult to i
dentify people who have
ingested drugs."
Related articles
Special report: drugs in Britain
Guardian Unlimited � Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002
End<{{{
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