Drug smuggling: Don't carry bags for strangers

Thai women made victim by carrying bags packed with drugs for their African husbands. At risk of becoming largest foreign group in Brazil's prisons.

Women told to be vigilant of drugs risk

8/08/2012
Thanida Tansubhapol

Thai women travelling abroad should not carry anyone else's luggage, as they might unwittingly become involved in the trans-national drug trade, warns the Thai embassy in Brasilia.

Out of only 80 Thais - including embassy staff and their family members - living in Brazil, at least 40 Thai women have been arrested on drug charges and are in prison in Sao Paulo, Thai ambassador to Brazil Tharit Charungwat said.

He said an increasing number of Thai women have been arrested for drug trafficking in Brazil in recent years.

The number has increased despite awareness of the risks among smugglers, because of the higher pay on offer to those smuggling the drugs, the ambassador said.

Mr Tharit said he was alerted to the trend by Sao Paulo officials, who warned that Thai women were at risk of becoming the largest group of foreign nationals in Brazil's prisons.

He said Africans in Brazil had links to drug networks in Africa and lured Thai women into smuggling drugs from Latin America to Asia.

The African traffickers first gain the trust of the Thai women by marrying them and having a baby together, Mr Tharit said.

Then they trick the Thai women into taking their luggage, packed with drugs, on a trip from Brazil to Thailand.

This ploy works as Thai women are generally kind and carry the luggage for their African husbands without asking what is inside, the ambassador said.

This makes it difficult for Brazilian officials to track the traffickers, he said.

"Thai women should not carry luggage or bags for anybody, no matter how much they love and trust their husbands, as all women from Thailand leaving Brazil with African husbands will be searched," Mr Tharit said..

He said Thai officials should exchange intelligence information with Brazil to track down the drug networks

stepped in

Mr Tharit thanked local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which have stepped in to care for Thai women arrested in Brazil, and helped protect them from human rights violations.

Mr Tharit said the Thai embassy will meet the NGOs next week and donate 50,000 baht to help cover their expenses.

(Source: Bangkok Post, CRIME, Women told to be vigilant of drugs risk, 8/08/2012, Thanida Tansubhapol, link) 

 
Drug Smuggling Vocabulary

smuggling - take things illegally into a country or other place ลักลอบขนสินค้าหรือคนเข้าและออกจากประเทศอย่างผิดกฎหมาย
smuggling drugs

smugglers - people who do the illegal activity of smuggling (criminals)
drug mule - "someone who smuggles something with them (as opposed to sending by mail, etc.) across a national border, including bringing in to and out of an international plane, especially a small amount, transported for a smuggling organization. The organizers employ mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves. Methods of smuggling include hiding the goods in a vehicle, luggage or clothes, strapping them to one's body, or using the body as container" (See Wikipedia)
drug courier - Same as "drug mule"

drug trafficking - the illegal drug trade, the buiying and selling of illegal drugs (See Wikipedia)
arrested for drug trafficking

traffickers - people who do the activity of  "drug trafficking", people who "traffick drugs" 

trans - across; crossing (from Latin language)
national (adjective) - related to a "nation" or "country"
trans-national - between countries, across the borders of countries

trade - the buying and selling of things การค้าขาย
trans-national drug trade - the buying and selling of drugs across national borders; between countries

vigilant - pay careful attention looking for danger ซึ่งระแวดระวัง, ซึ่งดูแลความปลอดภัย
risk - danger; the possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant might happen ความเสี่ยง

Women told to be vigilant of drugs risk

luggage - baggage; bags for travelling, for tourists (See Wikipedia)
anyone else's luggage - another person's bags (not your bags)

unwittingly - when you do something without know you are doing it
unwittingly become involved

Brasilia - the capital of Brasil; city specially built to be the capital (See Wikipedia)

embassy - a group of officials who represent their government in a foreign country สถานทูต
the Thai embassy in Brasilia

travelling abroad - travelling to another country; going to another country

Thai women travelling abroad should not carry anyone else's luggage, as they might unwittingly become involved in the trans-national drug trade, warns the Thai embassy in Brasilia.

staff - people who work for a company or organisation; workers, employees พนักงาน
embassy staff

charges - bring a criminal case against a person
arrested on drug charges

ambassador - a senior official who lives in a foreign country and represents his or her own country there ทูต เอกอัครราชทูต
Thai ambassador to Brazil

Out of only 80 Thais - including embassy staff and their family members - living in Brazil, at least 40 Thai women have been arrested on drug charges and are in prison in Sao Paulo, Thai ambassador to Brazil Tharit Charungwat said.

awareness - the state of knowing about something การรับรู้, การทราบ
awareness of the risks - knowing about a danger

He said an increasing number of Thai women have been arrested for drug trafficking in Brazil in recent years. The number has increased despite awareness of the risks among smugglers, because of the higher pay on offer to those smuggling the drugs, the ambassador said.

alert - tell someone about something dangerous
trend - a gradual change or development that produces a particular result ทิศทาง แนวโน้ม
alerted to the trend

Mr Tharit said he was alerted to the trend by Sao Paulo officials, who warned that Thai women were at risk of becoming the largest group of foreign nationals in Brazil's prisons.

networks - a system of connected parts (example: a computer network)
drug networks - drug traffickers and drug smugglers connected together at different levels to sell illegal drugs

links - connections ความเชื่อมโยงกัน
links to drug networks in Africa

lure - do something to interest a person and get them to do something (example: the hunter lured the bear into a bear trap)
lured Thai women into smuggling drugs

He said Africans in Brazil had links to drug networks in Africa and lured Thai women into smuggling drugs from Latin America to Asia.

trust - when people believe each other and have confidence in each other (so they can work together effectively) ความเชื่อมั่น
gain the trust of - do things to make a person trust you

traffickers first gain the trust of the Thai women by marrying them

The African traffickers first gain the trust of the Thai women by marrying them and having a baby together, Mr Tharit said.

packed - crowded; full of people or things แน่น
packed with drugs - when a bag or package is full of drugs

Then they trick the Thai women into taking their luggage, packed with drugs, on a trip from Brazil to Thailand.

ploy - something that is done or said in order to get an advantage, often dishonestly วิธีการ,แผน

This ploy works as Thai women are generally kind and carry the luggage for their African husbands without asking what is inside, the ambassador said.

track (verb) - follow where something or someone is going; watch where they are going
track (noun) - a mark or line of marks showing the direction that something has moved ร่องรอย
track the traffickers

track down - search for something; look for something
track down the drug networks

This makes it difficult for Brazilian officials to track the traffickers, he said.

no matter how much - the amount is not relevant
should not ... no matter how much they love and trust their husbands - don't do it, if you love them a lot or a little, not relevant

"Thai women should not carry luggage or bags for anybody, no matter how much they love and trust their husbands, as all women from Thailand leaving Brazil with African husbands will be searched," Mr Tharit said..

intelligence - information collected about the secret plans of an enemy, criminal organisations, competitors, etc. ข่าวกรอง ข้อมูลลับ

exchange - when two people give the other person something (or two organizations or countries)
exchange intelligence information with Brazil

He said Thai officials should exchange intelligence information with Brazil to track down the drug networks

non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
local non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์ something you are legally or morally allowed to do or have (See Wikipedia)
human rights

violation - when you break a law or rule, when you do not follow a law 
human rights violations

Mr Tharit thanked local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which have stepped in to care for Thai women arrested in Brazil, and helped protect them from human rights violations.

expense - money paid for something ค่าใช้จ่าย
cover expenses - give a person enough money so that they can pay for something

donate - to give something such as money or goods to an organisation, especially to a charity, school, political party, etc. บริจาค
donate 50,000 baht to help cover their expenses.

Mr Tharit said the Thai embassy will meet the NGOs next week and donate 50,000 baht to help cover their expenses.