The Journal du Mali is reporting right now more news about the Boeing 727 that was crashed in Northern Mali after downloading up to 10 tonnes of cocaine and that would have come from Venezuela. As we know, United Nations and Interpol are investigating.
This is what they seem to know now:
- the plane was coming from Venezuela (they don't say what further evidence they have, see below)
- the drug was taken away in 5 4x4 vehicles
- the vehicles may have taken the route to Niger
- the plane was registered in Guinea-Bisseau
- since last November Guinea-Bisseau had requested several West African countries to prohibit the entry of said plane as it was not respecting the flying routes
- the plane had no more rights to fly from 31 October
- the crew had decided to falsify papers as it could no longer fly like that and it had produced papers coming from Saudi Arabia
- the transponder shows the flight started in Panama, went on to Colombia, the trace disappeared for several days (???????), then the plane popped up in Cape Verde, continued to Guinea-Bisseau and ended in Mali.
- Several people from neighbouring countries seem to be involved in this issue and "heads may roll very soon"
- the men trying to dismantle the plane were poor inhabitants of the region (something that reminded me of a scene in Lord of War)
http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2009/12/16/34211/Venezuela-plane-with-cocaine-case-yields-more-arrests
ReplyDeletethat was a few days ago in the domrep...
Thanks, Feliz Navidad for you as well.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
Thanks. Still, it would be interesting to see the percentage coming from the different countries.
Independently that chavismo is very deep into an increase of drug traffic, nobody (I mean above all governments and international organizations alike) seems to be acting very kosher or coherent with regards to this issue
The latest reports from United Nations showed an increase in presumed drug from Venezuela. Still, most of it was NOT passing through it, but directly from colombia to the North.
ReplyDeleteMy guesses:
1) some high ranking in the military in Venezuela are involved in the cocaine trade, many middle-ranking as well
2) the same happens in our neighbouring country and even in the US, although to a much lesser extent (still, drug cartels have infiltrated almost every sector of society)
2) the Venezuelan government as a whole is not using drug as a tool to anything, they are just highly incompetent and their corruption takes different forms, some are involved, most are probably not, they have other things in mind. So it is not like Hugo is meeting with his cabinet and discussing the new drug routes
I may be wrong and there may be stronger connections to the whole government. I will keep an eye on news particularly from Africa about the drug connection.
What I do think is that there are people interested in influencing West African politics. Remember the voting machines, even Lucena went there to show how they work.
Why?
On Alek Boyd page one can see the list of companys that are banned from doing business with in Vzla. Smartmatic is one of them... Why? May Chavez know he wins the next elections anyway?
ReplyDeleteThere was an article i read somewhere a few days ago, the GN and / or police is selling the conficated drugs. Officials say they found 59 MT on cocaine this year - how much was it realy?
Cabello and Rangel are shure into the business - how about Chavez or his Family???
Regards and best wishes for x- mas! Ure going to Vzla?
Kep:
ReplyDeleteA transponder can be turned off quite easily, or you can change the code being transmitted. Most air traffic control radars cannot display a radar return if the transponder is inoperative.
Kenprince,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explanation. Now the question is why they turned off the device just for Venezuela.
Is it possible someone else after the plane was crashed may have fuddled with it?
Is there any other way to get possible clues about the flight, from radar records and the like?
(say, 'UFOs' approaching African territory which remained as such, without any identification)
I suppose not yet.
Somehow I did not save a message I had before.
On a nutshell: I am still cautious. I do not think (yet) the government is doing this as a governmental policy, even if high ranking officials are involved. I am more and more convinced the drug dealers have infiltrated more than the Venezuelan government. They may be at some level in every state apparatus. Most of the cocaine still goes out from colombia to the North.
The attitude taken by United Nations only makes sense for increasing the price of cocaine.
Either you put pressure on consumers as well as drug dealers and producers and you set up a massive set of programmes including drug for treatment or you are just playing for the drug dealers.
Some journalist said it would not matter if the US diminished consumption dramatically, because Europe would go on consuming. I don't think so. If any big region, be it Europe or the US, put its act together and diminished consumption, the other regions would follow suit sooner or later. Diminishing cocaine consumption anywhere would in itself only take place after there is a very open, very public debate and a lot of programmes supporting the move and that would be noticed worldwide and it would lead to a new awareness.
Well, let's see what else we get from Mali