So, I was in Thailand last week and there was a fair amount of discussion amongst various folks that I ran into there about recent stories of westerners getting busted in Asia (and Bali in particular)with large quantities of drugs that supposedly they were not actually smuggling.

Specifically, an Aussie guy on my dive boat was talking about a recent, big case in Bali right now where an Aussie girl is on death row due to being caught smuggling 2 kilos of coke into Bali. She claims it was put in her suitcase sometime after it left her possesion. Authorities in Australia apparently are speaking up saying they suspect there may be a domestic drug smuggling ring in Australia that is putting drugs in people's suitcases in one aussie airport to be removed in another aussie airport, all without the actual owner of the suitcase being aware of it (i.e. all the smuggling being done by baggage handlers). Supposedly, what happens occasionally is that the smugglers mess up and forget to take out the drugs. Your bags then head off to your international destination and unbeknownst to you, you become a drug smuggler into a country with the death penalty. Scary shit!!

I discussed this issue also with some Brits who have heard a lot about this lately. Then, to top it all off, I noticed on my way out of Thailand that the Bangkok airport is offering shrinkwrap services where you get your bags wrapped up like a mummy after going through security but before you check them so people cannot tamper with your bags. I do not remember seeing this on previous trips, but maybe I am more sensitive to this now. Yeesh...all of this has made my a little bit paranoid.

Anyway, the point of my long winded post is to warn people to be careful with your bags and lock them up whenever possible when going to Asia. Also, I am curious if other people have been hearing more about this sort of thing?? Any Aussies out there want to chime in? Most of this is hearsay so I have no idea how real a risk this is but on the surface it is scary as many Asian countries have death penalties for drug smugglers. :ninja:

Well, Schapelle Corby has been accused of smuggling over 4 kg of weed into Bali. Customs claim she knew she had the drugs, she claims they were planted unknowingly by others... Hmm, who knows? :ninja:

The customs officer Gusti Nyoman Winata said that he asked Corby to open her bag and she opened up an empty compartment of the bag. When he demanded a different compartment of the bag to be opened, she tried to prevent him from opening the bag himself. Corby's defence rejects these claims, but they are backed up by another customs officer and two local police officers.

According to her version of events, she opened her bag without being asked by the customs officer.

Ford stated that he overheard a conversation within a prison between two men and alleges one of the men planted the marijuana in Corby's boogie board bag in Brisbane with the intent of having another person remove it in Sydney.

Hopefully, justice will be served whatever it is - but regardless in the meantime, WATCH YOUR LUGGAGE!

yeah theres quite a number of aussies bein held in bali in drugs....

the first one you were talkin about she got busted with 4kg of weed in her body board bag. thats priddy spot on with how it "supposbly" got there she was facing death but got 20 years which has been reduced to 15 years and there still apealing..

next is the " Bali 9" these guys and one girl got caught trying to smuggle heroin or somethin out of bali and had it straped to there body i think four or so were caught at the airport and the rest caught at a hotel room there facing death.. by firing squad. the indonesian police were tipped off by australian federal police..

next is an Australian Model caught at an nightclub in bali with two E's however shes claiming shes addicted to prescription drugs and needed them which in bali means she would be sentenced to to around 3 months which see has already served most of so she may be let out in a few weeks....also apparently in bali there gonna start doin random drug testing on people and 90% of the time the indonesian dealers are often working for the police so they sell it to a foreigner then go tip the police off... if they want to stop the masssive drug problem the country has they should do what most other countries do and go for the big time dealers

theres a few others that have been caught with hash and been sentenced already but arnt really reported on

and finally in singapore another australian of vietnamese descent is about to be hanged for trying to smuggle heroin out of singapore apprarently he needed money to help his brother out.. the singapore government has rejected all our government appeals to spare his life

there is also shrinkwrap services at our airports where you can get your bags wrapped. you could just use duck tape and make two loops around ya back vertically. i wouldnt get to paranoid just make ya pack secure i couldnt lock mine up coz it dosnt have the lil things for the lock to go but i just pulled the tighting string thing tight and tied a knot..and made sure all the clips were together

respect

She got 15 years for it...

The case, unfortunately, looked pretty bad on her. Noticing that your boogie board suddenly got 9 lbs heavier (4kg) might have been important.. The guy testifying that he heard it was an interstate drug shipment that got missed? Well, they did offer a really huge reward for info that would have cleared her, so it might be suspect...

It pays to lock yer stuff!

I've thought it a little suss all this time that Schapelle was carrying a boogie board at all, as she was travelling to Bali to visit her sister and brother in law, who own a surf shop. Hmmmmm, I just get a feeling that she isn't all that innocent. Regardless of whether she is or not, I don't believe anyone should be jailed for 20 yrs for possession of weed. Chelseafc is right if they want to do something about the problem get the big time dealers. To get results you have to go to the source. The execution of the mules from the bali nine will not deter the heads of these drug rings, there will always be plenty of people that can be lured into similar situations by so called easy money.


I read in the papers the other week that apparently Michelle Leslie the Aussie model caught with 2 e's was partying with the son of one of Bali's military heads when arrested. This may explain why her trial is speeding along and her lawyers are quite positive that she could be released as early as next week. Her sudden conversion to Islam may have also done her some good.

They're all in different situations, Schapelle and the bali 9 are accused of smuggling, Schapelle is possibly innocent but its clear as day that the bali 9 are guilty. I'd like to here the excuses for having heroin straped to your body. You can't exactly blame that on baggage handlers. Michelle is just a party gal that likes her drugs not unlike many other young people, she just was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I doubt very much she was going to do anything other than swallow those two pills found in her handbag.

Oh hell yeah....I hear these stories ALL the time, every time while travelling now. And especially these high profile ones, but I cannot even begin to count the other stories I've heard that haven't made the headlines.

It is SCARY shit and I am with you about being paranoid. Regardless of whether we agree with these harsh penalties....it means you better not mess around! It is just not worth the risk. :hunter:

Anyway, the one thing that I think of is at least at the airport here, they make you keep your bags unlocked because they have to be able to go through them, checked and unchecked. So, really, how can you protect it other than watching it like a hawk when you have it?

Seems like countries like Bali would be better served in not arresting tourists on minor drug charges. They probably should concentrate thier efforts more on keeping bombers from blowing people up.

bali is a part of indonesia its not a country itself :wizard:

and in fairness they are arresting record amounts of indonesians aswell over half the prison population is there for drug offences.. i dont think there unfairly targeting tourists they just have a zero tolerence on drugs.. but again theyre going about it the wrong way :no:

Dude, youre right.

I knew that too, I must be slipping...

For one if they told me I was going to spend 15 years in a Bali jail or pssible the firing sqaud :greenguy:

One of three things would happen. One I would cause such a stir that hopefully they would let me go beacause of international pressure(not likely), if that doesn work then hoepfully some Navy Seals would break in and rescue me(yeh right). The third option would be breakiing out. If it was designed by man, there will always be a crack or loop hole. There would be no one way in hell I would spend 15 years of my life in a bali jail because some crack-head planted drugs on me.

:ph34r:

there jails are overcrowded.. thered be a few snitches happy to dob you in for some kind of benefit

all the other suggestions are 100% unlikely to happen

sorry man but your goin away for a long time :no:

Just a note - I did read that Michelle Leslie converted to Islam over a year ago. However it was convenient I guess to suddenly start wearing the traditional outfits....

Michelle Leslie the australian model caught with the to ecstacy tablets was found guilty and sentenced to three months which she already served so shell be released at 12 noon tomorrow

publicity stunt....

always check you bags before going through customs or airports and never ever take anything for anyone even if its a toothbrush across boarders, for a while people where having other people carry their comb, toothbrush this or that which was pack tight with coke or some shit, just dont do it!

Sounds vaguely like a movie called "Brokedown Palace" or "Midnight Express..."


Fact is, despite your best intentions, there are assholes out there that will use you if they can for whatever nefarious purposes they can.

Tpunks, be aware! Lock your bags! Shrink wrap them if its offered! Do whatever it takes. I do not wanna hear about my fellow TPunks getting nailed for smuggling hash outta somewhere!

With that shrink wrap there is good sides and bad sides coming from each.

Good

1.Secures your stuff
2.Hopefully no one will unopen it

Bad

1.If someone does open it and rewraps it you are looked at as 100% guilty.


Also the Vietnamese Australian is getting hanged on Friday. Bad day for all travellers deffinately made me rethink about going to any parts of Asia again. Not that i would be stupid enough to take drugs with me but you never know what someone puts in their pack.

^i dunno bout that man it would take too much time for them to unwrap then re-wrap it also i doubt the baggage handlers would have a shrink wrapping thing lying around......

Damn, and i've just booked my ticket to oz with a week stopover in Thailand :huh:

Scary stuff, i'll have to be real careful!

I can tell you that Don Muang airport in Bangkok has an interesting setup for checked baggage security. You walk into the airport and in order to go to the ticket counter to check in, you pass through a security checkpoint who x-rays all bags that will be checked.

You then take your bags to the ticket counter to check in. I believe if you want to shrink wrap your bags, you do it before you go through the x-ray checkpoint, but I do not know for sure. I saw the sign for shrink-wrap services, but logistically, I do not know exactly how it works. It seems strange, though, that if you shrink-wrap your bag, then go through the security prior to checking your bag and they want to open your bag...what do you do then?? As that does not make sense, maybe they shrink-wrap after the check point, I just don't know.

I do like the fact that you accompany your bag through security for the checked luggage. Then you can lock up your bag and know you are all set.

Well, they hanged the Australian this morning in Singapore.

God that is so sad and scary.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051201/ap_on_...apore_execution