走私
用空運(yùn)郵件把寵物從哥倫比亞送到紐約并非什么新鮮事，但去年12月，一只空運(yùn)而來的4歲牧羊犬引起了紐約肯尼迪海關(guān)一位檢查員的注意。這只狗看上去已奄奄一息，而在它身體的一側(cè)有一個(gè)可疑的腫塊。通過X射線檢查和外科手術(shù)，發(fā)現(xiàn)狗的腹內(nèi)被植入了10個(gè)避孕套，里面塞滿了總計(jì)5英磅的可卡因——這是反毒戰(zhàn)爭中該海關(guān)創(chuàng)下的又一個(gè)第一。
說到運(yùn)輸毒品，走私者用盡了各種可以想象得到的辦法，大塊的可卡因常被隱藏在裝運(yùn)毒蛇箱子的假底板下面。“有時(shí)你面對的是12英尺長的蛇，”一位美國海關(guān)的魚類及野生動(dòng)物檢查員說——毒品有時(shí)就藏在蛇腹中——“誰會(huì)把它弄出來檢查檢查呢？”
1994年，美國海關(guān)共查獲204391磅可卡因，559289磅大麻以及2577磅海洛因，實(shí)際流入這個(gè)國家的毒品數(shù)量不得而知。一些海關(guān)官員估計(jì)，大約只有10%偷運(yùn)進(jìn)來的毒品被查獲。在邁阿密，地方檢察官對那持少量毒品的人甚至不予起訴。“只有數(shù)量超過5公斤可卡因、1公斤海洛因、5000磅以上的大座，或是事情已引起新聞界的關(guān)注，我們無法阻止時(shí)才會(huì)予以起訴?！蓖诵莨賳T湯姆?卡什說。
面對如此龐大的毒品走私數(shù)量，人們只能懷疑海關(guān)究竟是否被走私者采用的花招搞糊涂了?！爸挥形覀儧]見過的方法，”邁阿密海關(guān)特別官員約翰?麥克希說，“但從沒有什么令我們真正吃驚?！?BR> Smuggling
It is not unusual for a pet to be sent by air cargo from Colombia to New York, but last December’s shipment of a 4-year-old sheep dog caught a New York Kennedy Airport Customs inspector's eye. The dog looked to be on its last legs, and there was an unusual lump on the side of its body. An X-ray and emergency surgery revealed the presence of 10 condoms tightly packed with five pounds of cocaine that had been surgically implanted in the dog's abdomen—yet another first for Customs in the war on drugs.
When it comes to transporting drugs, the methods used are only as limited as a smuggler’s imagination. Kilo bricks of cocaine are routinely concealed beneath false bottoms of containers that hold poisonous snakes. “You’ve got snakes that are 12 feet long,” says a United States Fish and Wildlife Service agent—and sometimes the drug is in the snake. “Who's going to pull it out and feel it? “
In 1994, United States Customs seized 204, 391 pounds of cocaine, 559, 286 pounds of marijuana and 2, 577 pounds of heroin. Just how much actually flows into the country is anyone's guess. Some Customs officials estimate that only 10 percent of the drugs coming into the country are ever seized. In Miami, the District Attorney won't even prosecute small fry. “It’s got to be over five kilos of cocaine, above a kilo of heroin and more than 5, 000 pounds of marijuana or it's not something that we’re going to stop the presses on,” says Tom Cash, a retired agent.
Given this deluge, one can only wonder if agents are ever confounded by some of the smuggling methods. “There are things we haven’t seen before,” says John McGhee, a Miami Customs special agent, “but nothing really surprises us.”
用空運(yùn)郵件把寵物從哥倫比亞送到紐約并非什么新鮮事，但去年12月，一只空運(yùn)而來的4歲牧羊犬引起了紐約肯尼迪海關(guān)一位檢查員的注意。這只狗看上去已奄奄一息，而在它身體的一側(cè)有一個(gè)可疑的腫塊。通過X射線檢查和外科手術(shù)，發(fā)現(xiàn)狗的腹內(nèi)被植入了10個(gè)避孕套，里面塞滿了總計(jì)5英磅的可卡因——這是反毒戰(zhàn)爭中該海關(guān)創(chuàng)下的又一個(gè)第一。
說到運(yùn)輸毒品，走私者用盡了各種可以想象得到的辦法，大塊的可卡因常被隱藏在裝運(yùn)毒蛇箱子的假底板下面。“有時(shí)你面對的是12英尺長的蛇，”一位美國海關(guān)的魚類及野生動(dòng)物檢查員說——毒品有時(shí)就藏在蛇腹中——“誰會(huì)把它弄出來檢查檢查呢？”
1994年，美國海關(guān)共查獲204391磅可卡因，559289磅大麻以及2577磅海洛因，實(shí)際流入這個(gè)國家的毒品數(shù)量不得而知。一些海關(guān)官員估計(jì)，大約只有10%偷運(yùn)進(jìn)來的毒品被查獲。在邁阿密，地方檢察官對那持少量毒品的人甚至不予起訴。“只有數(shù)量超過5公斤可卡因、1公斤海洛因、5000磅以上的大座，或是事情已引起新聞界的關(guān)注，我們無法阻止時(shí)才會(huì)予以起訴?！蓖诵莨賳T湯姆?卡什說。
面對如此龐大的毒品走私數(shù)量，人們只能懷疑海關(guān)究竟是否被走私者采用的花招搞糊涂了?！爸挥形覀儧]見過的方法，”邁阿密海關(guān)特別官員約翰?麥克希說，“但從沒有什么令我們真正吃驚?！?BR> Smuggling
It is not unusual for a pet to be sent by air cargo from Colombia to New York, but last December’s shipment of a 4-year-old sheep dog caught a New York Kennedy Airport Customs inspector's eye. The dog looked to be on its last legs, and there was an unusual lump on the side of its body. An X-ray and emergency surgery revealed the presence of 10 condoms tightly packed with five pounds of cocaine that had been surgically implanted in the dog's abdomen—yet another first for Customs in the war on drugs.
When it comes to transporting drugs, the methods used are only as limited as a smuggler’s imagination. Kilo bricks of cocaine are routinely concealed beneath false bottoms of containers that hold poisonous snakes. “You’ve got snakes that are 12 feet long,” says a United States Fish and Wildlife Service agent—and sometimes the drug is in the snake. “Who's going to pull it out and feel it? “
In 1994, United States Customs seized 204, 391 pounds of cocaine, 559, 286 pounds of marijuana and 2, 577 pounds of heroin. Just how much actually flows into the country is anyone's guess. Some Customs officials estimate that only 10 percent of the drugs coming into the country are ever seized. In Miami, the District Attorney won't even prosecute small fry. “It’s got to be over five kilos of cocaine, above a kilo of heroin and more than 5, 000 pounds of marijuana or it's not something that we’re going to stop the presses on,” says Tom Cash, a retired agent.
Given this deluge, one can only wonder if agents are ever confounded by some of the smuggling methods. “There are things we haven’t seen before,” says John McGhee, a Miami Customs special agent, “but nothing really surprises us.”