Ian Jackson MacDonald, accused drug smuggler, nabbed after 30 years on America's Most Wanted list

Macdonald, also known as "Big Mac" was arrested in 1980 and accused of masterminding a drug smuggling ring. But before he could stand trial, the alleged criminal mastermind faked a heart attack and escaped. Macdonald eventually moved to Pennsylvania, where he lived quietly under the assumed name of Jack Hunter. That is, until, a cold case unit in Miami was assigned to his case late last year. What marshals found, according to the newspaper, was a man living in stark contrast to the high-flying big spender they captured in the 1980s. The owner of an appliance store in Pennsylvania, MacDonald was also receiving about $1900 a month to work as a horse caretaker. Now he'll face the original charges against him – of being a co-conspirator to import up to 500 pounds of marijuana from Florida to Canada – in addition to charges relating to the escape.

By Nina Mandell

DAILY NEWS

January 13th 2011

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Guyanese woman busted with 54 pounds of cocaine stuffed into pink suitcase - and pot in her bra

A Guyanese woman was busted at Kennedy Airport with 54 pounds of cocaine stuffed into her pink suitcase, authorities said. Dorothy Sears certainly wasn't the brightest drug smuggler: U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents got wise to the $1.7 million worth of powder in her luggage after finding a bag of marijuana hidden in her bra during a patdown search. Security agents tagged Sears for the search after noting inconsistencies in her story about why she was traveling to Brooklyn on Jan. 12. After her dope-filled bra was discovered, agents dispatched a K-9 unit to analyze a suitcase she had checked, which was in another part of the airport. The coke was tightly wrapped into bricklike packages. Sears' arrest led to an ongoing investigation of her supplier.

BY John Lauinger

DAILY NEWS

January 26th 2010

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Federal agents seize $9M of pure opium hidden in acrylic cats at JFK Airport

More than $9 million of pure opium hidden in acrylic cats has been seized by federal agents at JFK Airport, officials said Thursday. The 205-pound shipment of the drug was intercepted Jan. 21 on a flight from Thailand. Authorities said the dope was destined for an address in the New York area. No arrests have been made in the investigation being spearheaded by the U.S. Office of Homeland Security.

The cargo manifest described the shipment as "plastic samples," but U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers had a hunch the feline figurines were not as innocent as they appeared. X-rays showed plastic-wrapped packages secreted inside the black decorative cats. The officers cracked the life-size figurines open and discovered the brown, tar-like drug. Field tests on the drugs were inconclusive, but a lab analysis identified the contraband opium.

by Bill Hutchinson

DAILY NEWS

February 18th 2011

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Cops bust 21-year-old female drug mule, Luisa Gill, with 50 condoms of cocaine in her stomach

A young woman was busted drug smuggling charges after cops said she swallowed nearly a pound of cocaine before boarding a flight from the Dominican Republic and landing in Boston. New Jersey resident Luisa Gill, 21, swallowed 50 condoms packed full of cocaine carrying a street value of approximately $50,000, then hopped on the JetBlue flight Saturday. Customs agents at Boston's Logan Airport questioned Gill after noticing see seemed jittery. Gill eventually admitted she had ingested the drugs and was taken to a local hospital where doctors retrieved the stash. Authorities said the situation wasn't uncommon – drug mules have been ferrying drugs into Mexico and South America for decades – but the size of the load was shocking. 

by Philip Caulfield

DAILY NEWS

February 7th 2011

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Latin America is extremely vulnerable to wildlife smuggling because of its immense biodiversity. Ecuador, the second smallest South American country is home to 1600 species of birds, this is more than the entire continental United States. In South America there are many rare and colorful birds such as the Scarlet Macaw, which are in high demand for wildlife smugglers. Most animals stolen in Latin America often end up in Europe, the United States and Japan. In Ecuador there is no lack of laws against wildlife smuggling, but there is a lack of resources, which means that conservation is not a first priority. It is a hope in Ecuador that a turn to tourism will become an alternative to hunting and illegal trade of rare and endangered wildlife.

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People smuggling (also called human smuggling, migrant smuggling) is defined as "the facilitation, transportation, attempted transportation or illegal entry of a person or persons across an international border, in violation of one or more countries laws, either clandestinely or through deception, such as the use of fraudulent documents".

There is a distinction between people smuggling as a service to those wanting to illegally migrate, and the involuntary trafficking of people. An estimated 90% of people who illegally crossed the border between Mexico and the United States are believed to have paid a smuggler to lead them across the border.

People smuggling between the United States and Mexico is a booming business that, as of 2003, garnered over $5 billion a year. Similarly, in the EU, profits from people smuggling operations is estimated to be around €4 billion per year.

People smuggling is a dangerous operation and has frequently resulted in the death of those individuals being smuggled. In 2004, 464 recorded deaths took place during the crossing from Mexico to America, and each year, an estimated 2000 people drown in the Mediterranean on the journey from Africa into Europe.

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Human trafficking is a lucrative industry. It is now the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Globally, it is tied with the illegal arms trade, as the second largest criminal activity, following the drug trade. The total annual revenue for trafficking in persons is estimated to be between USD$5 billion and $9 billion. The Council of Europe states, "People trafficking has reached epidemic proportions over the past decade, with a global annual market of about $42.5 billion." The United Nations estimates nearly 2.5 million people from 127 different countries are being trafficked around the world.

Sex trafficking victims are generally found in dire circumstances and easily targeted by traffickers. Individuals, circumstances, and situations vulnerable to traffickers include homeless individuals, runaway teens, displaced homemakers, refugees, and drug addicts. While it may seem like trafficked people are the most vulnerable and powerless minorities in a region, victims are consistently exploited from any ethnic and social background.

Traffickers, also known as pimps or madams, exploit vulnerabilities and lack of opportunities, while offering promises of marriage, employment, education, and/or an overall better life. However, in the end, traffickers force the victims to become prostitutes or work in the sex industry. Various work in the sex industry includes prostitution, dancing in strip clubs, performing in pornographic films and pornography, and other forms of involuntary servitude.

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