Recently, a 29-year-old Thai national was arrested at Changi Airport for
attempting to smuggle in 3.2kg of 'Ice'.
On Dec 26, at around 10.30pm, officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints
Authority (ICA) approached the female suspect for routine baggage checks.
During the scan of her haversack, the officers noticed anomalies in the
images.
They conducted a search and discovered a row of hand-sewn stitches at the
handle compartment of her haversack.
After cutting open the stitches, they found a package wrapped in aluminium
foil hidden in the inner linings.
Another package was also discovered tucked in the base cardboard of the
haversack.
The substance in both packages were sent for testing and were revealed to be
Methamphetamine Hydrochloride, also known as 'Ice'.
The Thai national was immediately arrested. She faces the death penalty
under the Misuse of Drugs Act, if convicted.
Smuggling across border checkpoints is not new but the items and
methods of deception have gotten increasingly bizarre. Here's a round-up of the
shocking (and maybe some not so surprising) things people have attempted evade
the authorities.
DIAMONDS: South African police arrested a 25-year-old man on Nov 15, 2012 for
attempting to smuggle 220 diamonds out of the country in his digestive tract
through Johannesburg's main airport. The Lebanese national bound for Dubai had
swallowed $2.25 million (S$2.74 million) worth of polished diamonds before he
was stopped before a security checkpoint at Africa's biggest airport and then
forced to relieved of his concealed cargo after police made him eat laxatives.
LIVE CORALS: Authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle out live corals through
the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) on July 13, 2012. Approximately
149 live coral pieces were hidden under 33 styrofoam boxes of live tropical
fish bound for Fukuoka, Japan. The shipment of live tropical fish was legal
when accompanied by proper permits, but exporting of live corals is illegal
under the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998.
ICE, ICE BABY: More than $640,000 worth of "Ice" was found in twelve lead
pistons in a West African woman’s check-in bag at Changi Airport on May 21,
2012. The drugs, weighing 2.7kg, were the year’s largest seizure. The
28-year-old woman was arrested in the Terminal 1 arrival hall when X-ray bag
scans showed anomalies in the pistons.
MORE ICE: Some of the items used to hide drugs discovered on a 40-year-old
Ghanaian woman after she was stopped at Changi Airport’s arrival hall for a
routine check. Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) found 3.8kg of
Ice, worth $770,000, in her luggage. The drugs were also hidden in two pairs of
shoes, DVD players and a power adaptor.
ICY FOOTWEAR: These two pairs of shoes were used to hide drugs discovered on a
40-year-old Ghanaian woman after she was stopped at Changi Airport’s arrival
hall for a routine check. Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)
found 3.8kg of Ice, worth $770,000, in her luggage. The drugs were also hidden
in sealed food tins, DVD players and a power adaptor.
DECEIVING UNDIES: A woman from the Republic of Guinea was arrested for trying
to smuggle 515g of syabu in her panties at the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) in August 2012.
The authorities said: "She packed the drugs to make it look like she was
wearing diapers," and added that a check also revealed another kilo of syabu
hidden in a special compartment of her luggage.
TINY TURTLE: China Daily reported that a spokesperson at Beijing Capital
International Airport said a passenger once tried to take a tiny turtle out of
the country by hiding it in a napkin
package in her bag. The date of the incident is unknown. Read the report
here.
SEEMINGLY SUITED: The China Daily report also said a passenger was found
carrying a cricket in a box inside his suit in an undated incident. Read the
report
here.
DREADLOCKS: A South African drug mule was arrested at Bangkok International
Airport in December 2011 for smuggling cocaine, worth R1.2m (S$171k) hidden in
her dreadlocks.
