Thread: It's hard to feel any sympathy. Drug mule in fight for life.

Originally Posted by jizzybloke

just helping TD relations

Fair enough.

I also find a spoon to be a versatile tool.

Originally Posted by Redrum

I also find a spoon to be a versatile tool.

Of course you would

Sorry Milky!

You may have read that my cousin was convicted of his part in a drug haul and as a mule.

As I understand he was not going to profit from the assignment apart from the supply of an unknown amount of cocaine he would have for his own use.

He came from quite a wealthy family, his parents were both university lecturers and he went to some of the best schools in Sydney. No commercial reason to make extra money but got caught up in the drug scene and was lured and got caught in something he apparently could not get out of.

His wanton drug addiction led him to attempting his life changing experience.

Mules become scapegoats & they don't deserve such harsh punishments.

Plus they never actually harm anybody - drug users harm themselves.

You get less time for killing someone.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

You may have read that my cousin was convicted of his part in a drug haul and as a mule.

As I understand he was not going to profit from the assignment apart from the supply of an unknown amount of cocaine he would have for his own use.

He came from quite a wealthy family, his parents were both university lecturers and he went to some of the best schools in Sydney. No commercial reason to make extra money but got caught up in the drug scene and was lured and got caught in something he apparently could not get out of.

His wanton drug addiction led him to attempting his life changing experience.

Thanks for the info Loy Toy.

If your cousin wasn't profiting from it, and was smuggling it for his own use,

I do NOT classify him as a "mule."

Best of luck to him.

You guys are cruel. She is still a human being even if she was smuggling drugs in her body (in a condom). She'll be charged, hopefully spend time in jail for it.

If you've ever seriously known heroine (coke) addicts. They will do anything for it. This proves the point.

One of my cousins was married to a rock star (no names), and he ended up dying in jail (murdered for breaking and entering). He got my cousin involved as well. It is a serious addiction.

They both should be tried for the crime, but she is still a person no matter.

Originally Posted by Milkman

If your cousin wasn't profiting from it, and was smuggling it for his own use

No, he would have been paid with a portion of the dope he was smuggling, most of it would have ended up others' noses.
But he was not a mule for reasons of greed and profit.
Just as someone blackmailed is not doing it for profit either.

Your simplistic little theory predictably went tits up.
But repeat it a few more times if it makes you feel better.

Originally Posted by phuketbound

If you've ever seriously known heroine (coke) addicts. They will do anything for it. This proves the point.

The article does not say whether the woman is addicted or not.

Otherwise I agree, she is a person, with individual circumstances which are not known. But as usual, people are all too happy to condemn someone on the basis of a short news-clip which does not provide much detail.

Originally Posted by 0bsidian

perhaps you have more kids.

Originally Posted by spiff

Ok, Ms. Pedant: threatening to hurt your child(ren) if you do not swallow and subsequently deliver the drugs at the destination.

Fine, I guess that's a possibility and would be a very pretty hypothesis in a novel, but are you guys actually arguing that that is why mules smuggle drugs inside their bodies? Couldn't just be to make some money in most cases, could it?

Originally Posted by November Rain

Fine, I guess that's a possibility and would be a very pretty hypothesis in a novel, but are you guys actually arguing that that is why mules smuggle drugs inside their bodies? Couldn't just be to make some money in most cases, could it?

It's just spiff making stuff up again - big surprise -- I'm with NR on this one, that a lot of the main motivations of drug mules are:

- money.
- money to feed their own addiction.
- addicted to drugs.
- money

The kind of 'we kill your kids if you don't deliver the drugs' is more likely found in a (very bad) CSI:Miami or Nip/Tuck episode...

Originally Posted by Milkman

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

You may have read that my cousin was convicted of his part in a drug haul and as a mule.

As I understand he was not going to profit from the assignment apart from the supply of an unknown amount of cocaine he would have for his own use.

He came from quite a wealthy family, his parents were both university lecturers and he went to some of the best schools in Sydney. No commercial reason to make extra money but got caught up in the drug scene and was lured and got caught in something he apparently could not get out of.

His wanton drug addiction led him to attempting his life changing experience.

Thanks for the info Loy Toy.

If your cousin wasn't profiting from it, and was smuggling it for his own use,

I do NOT classify him as a "mule."

Best of luck to him.

Can't see that. If he was smuggling a personal stash for his own use he would be a straightforward smuggler, not a mule in the smuggling context.

Otoh, LT, was it an 'unknown amount of cocaine he would have for his own use' because he wasn't sure how much he was carrying, though for his personal use, or because it was known the recipient, i.e. the person he was muling for, would pay him off with (an unknown amount of) coke, instead of cash?

I do not know your relative, but people from comfortable to obscenely wealthy backgrounds, are not excluded from making small to big money through drugs and other illegal activities, if only for the adrenalin flow.

Originally Posted by keda

Otoh, LT, was it an 'unknown amount of cocaine he would have for his own use' because he wasn't sure how much he was carrying, though for his personal use, or because it was known the recipient, i.e. the person he was muling for, would pay him off with (an unknown amount of) coke, instead of cash?

From what I can gather, as I have not spoken to him personally, he carried the cocaine from Soth America through an Aussie Airport and then handed it on to the next courier in the chain.

The customs knew it was leaving South America and the customs in Australia knew it was arriving and he would be given clear passage at both ends (no real risk involved or so it seemed).

This drug smuggling operation involved big payoffs at both ends and was exposed (as he was) well after the drugs had cleared customs.

He had only done one mule run but I believe many were convicted with the big players still running free. I have been told many sporting celebrities were involved and those that would have to travel because of special sporting events (such as my cousin).

Again and based upon what my uncle told me he was paid off in drugs for his own use as he was an addict.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Again and based upon what my uncle told me he was paid off in drugs for his own use as he was an addict.

Given the risks he must have been given quite a bit.

Originally Posted by 0bsidian

Given the risks he must have been given quite a bit.

His father has told me there was no money involved but his addictions was costing him thousands of dollars a week.

Apparently he was prepared for this project over the course of about a year and that the supply of free drugs etc and at the end he had no real sensible option as he had lost his sensibility to wanton drug abuse.

That's what a lot of people don't understand. Once your hooked there is only one thing in life that matters and that is your next fix. Not money, family, friends or even your own safety and long term future. It is all about your next trip and that is all that matters.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

He came from quite a wealthy family, his parents were both university lecturers and he went to some of the best schools in Sydney. No commercial reason to make extra money but got caught up in the drug scene and was lured and got caught in something he apparently could not get out of.

Most of the people involved in Cocaine are from upper class educated families, its a society drug used by upper levels of society far away from the heroin using junkie scum.

The thing with it is they can still socialize and operate appearing to be relatively normal, the perfect party drug until there use gets out of control.

Well known to be freely available here in Perth but only to the rich and the people in the know. Very underground scene.

Originally Posted by terry57

Very underground scene

Far from it in the UK.

Everyone's on it - rich or poor, it makes no difference.

Originally Posted by Milkman

If your cousin wasn't profiting from it, and was smuggling it for his own use,

I do NOT classify him as a "mule."

He clearly stated that he was smuggling a large (well, unknown) quantity *for* someone else, and received a small(er) amount for his own use in payment -- that qualifies him as a mule.

Originally Posted by phuketbound

You guys are cruel. She is still a human being even if she was smuggling drugs in her body (...) but she is still a person no matter.

Huh? What's your point? She has not only brought whatever happened on to herself, but she was also contributing to trafficking a product that is bound to destroy people's and children's lives in the process... Can you explain again why we should feel a shred of sympathy?

Most of the people involved in Cocaine are from upper class educated families, its a society drug used by upper levels of society far away from the heroin using junkie scum.

Disagree, all levels of society use coke or crack and it's very popular amongst the lower classes.

^ yes -- terry this is really quite inaccurate, in terms of the usa anyway.

Originally Posted by November Rain

Originally Posted by 0bsidian

perhaps you have more kids.

Originally Posted by spiff

Ok, Ms. Pedant: threatening to hurt your child(ren) if you do not swallow and subsequently deliver the drugs at the destination.

Fine, I guess that's a possibility and would be a very pretty hypothesis in a novel, but are you guys actually arguing that that is why mules smuggle drugs inside their bodies? Couldn't just be to make some money in most cases, could it?

As you finally agree, it is a possibility.

Noone argues this is why people smuggle drugs.

But the article in the OP does not give any info, so we do not know the circumstances.

Originally Posted by DaffyDuck

It's just spiff making stuff up again

Quack, quack, talking out of your ass, as usual, Daffy?

Originally Posted by Redrum

Far from it in the UK. Everyone's on it - rich or poor, it makes no difference

Everyone? Better give my Mum & her fiance a bit of a 'Just Say No' talk when I'm back there for their wedding, then...

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

That's what a lot of people don't understand. Once your hooked there is only one thing in life that matters and that is your next fix. Not money, family, friends or even your own safety and long term future. It is all about your next trip and that is all that matters.

That's a bit of a clichee, but true enough. The advanced stages of addiction resemble a psycho-somatic illness, and I would not apply 'normal' standards and expectations.

I hope your generousity of spirit extends beyond your relative to others in similar predicaments.