The Curaçao Connection: Germany Becomes a Destination for Drug Mules

[unhappycamper]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/germany-becomes-a-destination-for-caribbean-drug-mules-a-1043428.html



In 2011, Air Berlin became the first German airline to offer non-stop service to Curaçao. Since then, customs inspectors in Düsseldorf have been battling a serious cocaine smuggling problem.

The Curaçao Connection: Germany Becomes a Destination for Drug Mules
By Andreas Ulrich
July 13, 2015 – 06:10 PM

The Airbus aircraft, in red and white livery, is parked at Gate 1 of the Curaçao airport. It's a Tuesday in June and passengers are waiting to board the jet. One young man dressed entirely in black stands out among the brightly clad vacationers on the Caribbean island.

Suddenly, customs officials rush into the departures hall and begin scanning the passengers with their eyes before their gazes settle on the man. When they lead him away, he doesn't resist.

The man had already caught their attention when he went through passport control, whereupon they examined the bag he had checked. They determined that the clothing in his suitcase had been soaked in liquid cocaine. More than six kilograms of the drug had been hidden using the not-uncommon method.

Arrests like this are a part of everyday life on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, which advertises itself as a vacation destination with its green palm trees, its white beaches and its crystal-clear water. Every Tuesday, an aircraft from Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest airline, flies from Düsseldorf to Curaçao before reversing course and arriving back in Germany on Wednesday afternoon. Most passengers are tourists, but drug couriers are also frequently on board.

[MuseRider]

1. Too bad

It is a lovely island with good diving and very nice people.