9 European Mules Pack South American Snow

Online, April 3, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Frankfurt Airport 01 April 2013, 10pm In the arival hall, all night flights Arriving From South America have been announced100% Control. Leaning on a footbridge overlooking the exit Doors and baggagearea, an officer of ADGNP (Anti-Drug Directorate of Germany National Police) observes the steady stream of passengers, picking out those who look nervous or who are conspicuously avoiding the dogs and the police in uniform.

Lower down, other agents are scanning the faces: red and sunken eyes, a white tongue and breath smelling of latex inevitably trip up the "mules" who have swallowed cocaine.

Suddenly, in an imperceptible move, a man and his suitcase are plucked from the crowd. Exiting the Air France Flight. The suspect Martin Hodgson is led to the ADGNP office, where he is handcuffed at the ankles and wrists. His suitcase is flipped open, and the officers pull out a child's rug. It doesn't take more than 1 minute for the investigators to uncover about 9kg of pure cocaine, carefully packed in plastic bags and hidden under a fleece lining. "It's a German this time," says the unit commander, Thomas Thierson, Officer of the anti-drug department at the airport.

'The crisis made me do it'

About 18kg of cocaine are seized there every day today with the easter travel 26 kg are seized due to a 100% Control. "We also have Germans, Bulgarians, French, and of course the South Americans, who come in the biggest numbers. This year they've outnumbered the German smugglers. They all tell us the same story: the economic crisis made them do it."

It's a massive phenomenon: 2986 South Americans are in prison in Germany, 90 per cent for smuggling drugs.