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NEWS: Herald-Sun 16 Oct 04: Sniffer dog finds cocaine

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BigTrancer

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Sniffer dog finds cocaine
16oct04

THE well trained nose of Glory, a three-year-old black Labrador, unravelled a Portuguese man's plan to enter Australia with packages of cocaine strapped to his calves.

Glory was doing her usual rounds sniffing baggage on the luggage carousel at Sydney International Airport on Friday when a particular suitcase caught her attention.

The suitcase's owner was later identified as 33-year-old Portuguese national Francisco Doutel Soares, a resident of Warwick Farm in Sydney's west, who had arrived on a flight from Chile in South America.

Australian Customs Service officers questioned Doutel Soares before finding packages containing cocaine powder strapped with sticky tape to his calves.

The exact quantity of the drug was still being determined.

He reportedly admitted to carrying the drugs and was later charged with importing a prohibited import.

An Australian Federal Police (AFP) spokesman said Soares was refused bail in Parramatta Local Court today and would reappear at Central Local Court on Monday.

The maximum penalty for drug trafficking offences is a fine of up to $750,000 and/or life imprisonment.

From: http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11096646%5E1702,00.html
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The maximum penalty for drug trafficking offences is a fine of up to $750,000 and/or life imprisonment.
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huh?? Is life imprisonment the max penalty for drug trafficking in Australia??
 
I read about this yesterday I think on the Sydney Morning Herald site, though they stated the amount as around 1.1 kg.

Seems strange to me that the dog targetted his suitcase when the drugs where strapped to him..
 
^^ Seems obvious that the drug had been handled and/or in the suitcase at least (handled, then he carried the suitcase etc) so there was residual leftover smell of cocaine on the suitcase. Doesn't seem strange to me. The life imprisonment in Australia as max penalty still seems strange to me. I thought Australia had somewhat lenient penalties for drug trafficking.
 
If the dogs don't get you, the ion scanners will. I know of an old straight guy who recently returned from a neighboring country where he visited and stayed with friends, some of who were big party people. Upon his return, ion scanners indicated his clothing contained traces of you know what.

Because he didn't admit to using himself, authorities became more than anxious to discover just what else might explain how traces got to be on his possessions (more than 1 item).

He was told that if he admitted to being a user, it would be considered satisfactory and there would be no cause for further searching. However, his explanation was; although he didn't use himself, many of the people he knew did. That didn't go down well at all and out came the rubber glove. He was otherwise clean and walked.. err.. hobbled free, but feeling very humiliated and more aware of uncomfortable chairs 8(
 
Off-topic: A couple of weeks ago I had my carry-on luggage (inside and out) and my hands and pockets of my jeans swiped with an IonTrack device on the way through Rome airport enroute to Australia. It took about 10s for the swabs, and then another 10s for the yellow filter from the device to be analysed before I was sent on my way (I hadn't handled anything illegal in my short trip overseas).

There were people absolutely everywhere in the airport, and planes (including mine) were being delayed by up to 2hrs for take-off, but the security bottleneck was unrelenting - so it's not like they'll be less likely to scan you if the airport is busy I guess. Presumably they're looking for explosives, but who will be the first to know when they start scanning using a similar device for contraband?

BigTrancer :)
 
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca1901124/s235.html

Customs Act 1901 s235
(c) where the Court is satisfied:
(i) that the narcotic goods in relation to which the offence was committed:
(A) are a narcotic substance in respect of which there is a commercial quantity applicable; and
(B) consist of a quantity of that substance that is not less than that commercial quantity; or
(ii) that the narcotic goods in relation to which the offence was committed consist of a quantity of a narcotic substance that is not less than the trafficable quantity applicable to that substance and also that, on a previous occasion, a court has:
(A) convicted the person of another offence, being an offence against a provision referred to in paragraph (a) that involved other narcotic goods which consisted of a quantity of a narcotic substance not less than the trafficable quantity that was applicable to that substance when the offence was committed; or
(B) found, without recording a conviction, that the person had committed another such offence;
a fine not exceeding 7,500 penalty units or imprisonment for life, or both or for such period as the Court thinks appropriate;
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*BIG THANKS* VelocideX


*off topic* it was your posts that inspired me to purchase Piracetam powder. Ordered some last week :)
 
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