US rampers in PHL busted for smuggling

[Dont call me Shirley]

http://www.myfoxphilly.com/story/23095398/feds-say-us-airways-baggage-handler-nabbed-in-philly-cocaine-smuggling-operation

Federal authorities say a crew of baggage handlers at Philadelphia International Airport were moving more than luggage at the international terminal, they were moving bags loaded with dozens of kilos of cocaine, until the federal authorities came calling...
....The feds intercepted text messages where Rodriguez told his fellow smugglers there was "bookoo money out there.
"Bookoo" Says a bit about the schools in Philly, eh?
Seriously, though, did they really think they could keep doing it without getting caught?

 

[nycbusdriver]

Seriously, though, did they really think they could keep doing it without getting caught?

Especially in light of the wide publicity about the NSA monitoring everybody's communications. Of course, that assumes they are paying attention to news media. My guess: they watched ball games and sitcoms and missed the fact that the Feds probably knew their every move.

 

[freedom]

Hmm I'm curious how much they were getting paid .... One has to wonder what the risk reward quotient is for something like that .

 

[freedom]

Read the article 5,000 to 25,000.....

Wow that is really on the low end I would think , I mean when you consider they could be looking at a decade in prison.....

If they were service air workers I could understand but our companies pay and benefits certainly are not bad ...

 

[FWAAA]

"Bookoo" Says a bit about the schools in Philly, eh?

Those french words can be so difficult to spell. In fairness, however, look at how many people post on this forum who use "loose" and variations of it when they mean "lose."

 

[nycbusdriver]

Read the article 5,000 to 25,000.....

Wow that is really on the low end I would think , I mean when you consider they could be looking at a decade in prison.....

If they were service air workers I could understand but our companies pay and benefits certainly are not bad ...

Years ago, we had a 727 captain convicted of drug trafficking and went to jail. Even really good pay pales in comparison to money to be made in illicit activities. I suspect getting caught will suddenly change one's perspective on risk vs. reward.

But then, no one doing that expects to get caught, or they wouldn't do it.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Those french words can be so difficult to spell. In fairness, however, look at how many people post on this forum who use "loose" and variations of it when they mean "lose."

their their.

 

[nycbusdriver]

their their.

 

[Harry Callahan]

Im shocked not.

Harry

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Those french words can be so difficult to spell. In fairness, however, look at how many people post on this forum who use "loose" and variations of it when they mean "lose."

Very true!

 

[FWAAA]

Years ago, we had a 727 captain convicted of drug trafficking and went to jail. Even really good pay pales in comparison to money to be made in illicit activities. I suspect getting caught will suddenly change one's perspective on risk vs. reward.

But then, no one doing that expects to get caught, or they wouldn't do it.

An airline captain? Wow. Last year, a couple of TSA screener lowlifes pleaded guilty to bribery in their conspiracy to help pot smugglers at LAX:

http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2012/097a.html

Sure, TSA pay isn't huge but if they stick with it, a federal pension is nothing to sneeze at. Since it was just pot and not coke, the bribes were much smaller than the present case in PHL.

In every group of people, there are some who make very poor decisions - witness the occasional airline pilot who is caught trying to fly under the influence. There's really no "reward" for taking the risk of losing one's ticket.

 

[necigrad]

AWA had some rampers get busted for this too once I believe.

 

[wings396]

Just about everyone has had some shady stuff going on at one time or another. Back in the day, this was just about a regular occurrence at EA. I believe they even had an AC in limbo over a drug issue.

 

[freedom]

I think its time for a read and sign about overloading the planes with undeclared cocaine,could lead to weight and balance issues

 

[Jester]

AWA had some rampers get busted for this too once I believe.

I recall speaking with some LAS guys now in PHX about how one LAS ramper was bringing dope to his locker and then passing the drugs to a courier on the other side of the TSA check point. He was busted after the overwhelming smell of the herb in the men's locker room lead to a call to the airport police and the drug sniffing dog hit to his upon locker.

I think its time for a read and sign about overloading the planes with undeclared cocaine,could lead to weight and balance issues

At least the cocaine was in a checked bag which would have been counted as part of the weight and balance, but I seriously doubt 130 pounds of additional weight would make a material difference... that's one extra heavy passenger on the plane.