Deon Green, Freelance Writer WHEELCHAIR-BOUND pensioners in their 60s and 70s are now considered the ideal targets of drug smugglers transporting cocaine from Caribbean islands into the United Kingdom, the British tabloid News of the World has reported.
The newspaper pointed to "an army" of British pensioners sneaking in millions of pound (sterling) worth of cocaine into the UK.
Earlier this year there was much focus by British tabloids on single Jamaican mothers, from deprived communities in Kingston, taking cocaine into England, after ingested cocaine was found on a number of Jamaicans so-called "mules" arriving at London Heathrow Airport.
The Mirror, another British tabloid further focused on Jamaicans earlier this year, even dubbing Air Jamaica as Cocaine Air. The article created much discontent locally, with the Jamaican High Commission in London pointing out that Jamaica only accounted for a small percentage of the cocaine being smuggled into the UK from Jamaica or the Caribbean islands, in comparison to the amount being smuggled in from South America.
According to the News of the World, it has handed over a dossier, including video evidence, to the authorities, of their findings. The finding according to the newspaper is that the pensioners are being recruited by a Yardie drug smuggling ring at betting shops and bingo halls.
It said the "some-what destitute and bored pensioners" were being lured into the drug trade by lucrative packages, for example 7,000 pounds (sterling) for an all expenses-paid vacation for a fortnight in Grenada, in return for the smuggling in of a suitcase of cocaine. Among those said to be presenting the packages to the pensioners are ex-cops and a university tecturer.
The wheelchair recruits are said to be preferred as they are low on the cocaine smuggling list. Some even fool customs, making them believe that they are smuggling cigarettes which do not attract the penalty of cocaine.
The suitcases in which the cocaine is transported are said to be x-ray proof and can't be sniffed out by dogs.
