Mule (smuggling)

A mule or courier (to be) someone who (to smuggle) something with him or her (as opposed to sending by mail, etc.) across a national border. It also (to include) smuggling into and out of an international plane, especially a small amount, transported for a smuggling organization. The organizers (to employ) mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves, while often profiting most. The mule typically (to get) paid an amount which is small compared with the profit, but large for somebody with little money, so that it (to seem) to him or her an easy way to make money.

Task 12.

Fill in the following words: containers, couriers, drug, killed, mule, narcotics, shipments, sophisticated, stool.

“Swallowers,” are drug … who rent out their bodies as cargo …, each carrying upwards of a kilo, or 2.2 pounds, of packaged … . Body packing is on the rise and getting more … , according to narcotics officers. Increased airport security has caused some … cartels to shift a majority of their small … out of carry-on baggage and into the less easily searched internal compartments of the “… ”. Most of the time, the drug pellets are recovered from the … of the swallowers, but there are times they are … and gutted to retrieve drug shipments.

Task 13.

Choose the correct propositions: across, between, for, from, in, like, of, on, through, to, under, with. Make up your own sentences with these word combinations:

1) to smuggle … a national border, 2) to transport goods … a smuggling organization, 3) to reduce the risk … getting caught, 4) to be compared … the profit, 5) to hide goods … the vehicle, 6) a vehicle … an innocent person, 7) to check people … drug pellets, 8) drug mules … Jamaica, 9) to be … the “Most Wanted” list, 10) a large contribution … work, 11) to look … air, 12) to avoid a border … smuggling tunnels, 13) concealment … the transport, 14) to hide drugs … the body or … clothes, or … other goods.

Task 14.

Read the following sentences and rewrite them in the passive, as in the model.

Model: Customs officers arrested a money mule. → A money mule was arrested by Customs officers.

1. Swallowers often smuggle heroin.

2. In March 20, 2006 New York City police officers arrested leaders and members of a drug gang.

3. Sometimes smugglers hide illegal goods in the vehicle of an innocent person.

4. In 2003 UK authorities jailed a lot of female drug mules from Jamaica.

5. Security stuff of the airports will X-ray people to check for drug pellets.

Task 15. Read the Text and answer some questions after it.

Smuggling methods

With regard to crossing borders we can distinguish concealment of the whole transport or concealment of just the smuggled goods:

1. Avoiding border checks, such as by small ships, private airplanes, through overland smuggling routes, smuggling tunnels and even small submersibles. This also applies for illegally passing a border oneself, for illegal immigration or illegal emigration. For example, smugglers in the 1970s and ‘80s flew electronic equipment such as stereos and televisions in cargo planes from one country to clandestine landing strips in another, thereby circumventing encounters at the frontier between countries.

2. Submitting to border checks with the goods or people hidden in a vehicle or between (other) merchandise, or the goods hidden in luggage, in or under clothes, inside the body etc. Many smugglers fly on regularly scheduled airlines. A large number of suspected smugglers are caught each year by customs worldwide. Goods and people are also smuggled across seas hidden in containers, and overland hidden in cars, trucks, and trains.

For illegally passing a border oneself, another method is with a false passport (completely fake, or illegally changed, or the passport of a look-alike).

There is a Multi-Consignment Contraband (MCC) smuggling method, which is smuggling two or more different types of contraband such as drugs and illegal immigrants or drugs and guns at the same time. But it is not widespread.

1. What kinds of concealment are recognized by the Customs?

2. Are all smugglers try to avoid border checks?

3. How can smugglers avoid border checks?

4. Where can smugglers hide goods or people?

5. What kinds of false passports do you know?

6. How can planes be used by smugglers?

7. What is a Multi-Consignment Contraband?

Step 3

Talking points

Task 16.

Decide if the following statements true, false or unknown to you. Explain your opinion.

1. All smugglers try to avoid border checks.

2. Smuggled items can be hidden in a vehicle, in luggage, in or under clothes or inside the body.

3. Mules usually deal with people smuggling.

4. Smugglers always specialize only in one sphere of illegal trade, for example, drug trafficking.

5. Swallowers usually smuggle weapons.

6. Drugs are often hidden in small iron balloons or pellets, contained in some body cavities of smugglers.

7. It is easy to find drugs hidden in a human body.

Task 17. Work in a team (of 3-4 people). Comment on the fact.

A. The drug cartel paid an average of $8,000 for a kilogram of heroin in Panama which re-sold wholesale for more than $50,000 in New York City, and could potentially have a street value of $300,000 on the streets of the city. Swallowers were paid a fee plus airfare and hotel expenses per trip. The fee could go up to as much as $10,000 depending on how many heroin pellets an individual swallower could transport.

B. Routine detection of the smuggled packets is extremely difficult, and many cases come to light because a packet has ruptured or because of intestinal obstruction. Unruptured packets may sometimes be detected by rectal or vaginal examination, but the only reliable way is by X-ray of the abdomen. Hashish appears denser than stool, cocaine is approximately the same density as stool, while heroin looks like air.

Task 18. Team work. Divide all students into two teams. One team gets text A, another team gets text B. Asking different questions in turn teams should find out missing information. One question must request only one piece of information. The first team that completes the text is a winner.

Text A.

A balloon swallower is a person who … with the intent to … contained in ... This term is used only in American law enforcement for people crossing the United States-Mexico border. Other countries have their own names. A balloon swallower typically fills …, often made with…, with small quantities of drugs, usually … or cocaine. These balloons may be swallowed, but may also be hidden in other body cavities as the rectum or vagina.

The swallower then attempts to …, excrete the balloons, and then … for profit. It is far more common for the smuggler to be making the trip for a drug lord or drug dealer. Swallowers are often poor and agree to carry the drugs in exchange for money or other favors.

Text B.

A balloon swallower is a person who crosses a frontier with the intent to smuggle contained in his or her gastrointestinal tract or other body cavities. This term is used only in … law enforcement for people crossing … border. Other countries … names. A balloon swallower typically fills …, often made with…, with small quantities of drugs, usually … or cocaine. These … may be swallowed, but may also be hidden in … as the rectum or ….

The swallower then attempts to …, excrete the balloons, and then … for profit. It is far more common for the smuggler to be making the trip for a …. Swallowers are often poor and agree to carry the drugs in exchange for ….

Task 19. Prepare a talk-show “New methods of smuggling”. Recommended guests are Customs officers, airport security staff, doctors, trainers of sniffer dogs, engineers and etc.

Step 4

Project

Task 20. Using the internet find the information and prepare a presentation on the following topics:

1. The most widespread methods of smuggling;

2) The most effective/strange methods of smuggling.

Unit V

Future career

Warm up

How do you understand: do we choose jobs the same way we choose holidays?

Are you of the same opinion?

Job or Career?

There is a difference!

Can you answer these questions?

1. Are you looking for a stop-gap job to pay off bills or have you got a detailed career plan?

2. Do you want a similar kind of job to your existing one but just in a different environment?

3. Have you already made your choice concerning your future profession?

What pay and conditions are you looking for?

You’ll need to find a job that suits your lifestyle and give you the hours you want. And how far do you want to travel and what kind of salary are you looking for?

Who would you like to work for?

• Working for a large company where you can move roles;

• working for a small company where you can get experience of all aspects of the business;

• working for a well-known and reputable company;

• having training opportunities;

• Customs Service.

Section 1

Applying a position for a customs officer

Step 1

Word bank

1) administrative job – административная должность

2) agency – агентство, посредничество

3) an applicant – кандидат на должность

4) an assistant officer – помощник офицера

5) to ask for raise – просить повышения зарплаты

6) cargo – груз

7) certificate – сертификат

8) competitive – конкурентный

9) concerning – относительно, касательно

10) employee – наемный рабочий

11) employer – наймодатель

12) flextime – гибкий график

13) to fill a position – вступить в должность

14) a full-time job – штатная должность, полный рабочий день

15) job in one’s field – работа по специальности

16) to head – возглавлять

Task 1. Make up your own sentences with the words from the word bank.

Task 2. Read and translate the words, paying attention to their pronunciation:

important_________ surveillance__________ allowances_________

exported__________ recruits______________ higher____________

division __________ qualifications_________ available__________

vehicles __________ communication________ judgment__________

witness___________ throughout___________ questioning_________

Task 3. Make the derivatives from:

Model: cook – cooking

• interview _______

• do _____________

• consult _________

• account _________

• teach ___________

• engineer _________

• train ____________

Task 4. Add the missing letters, read and translate the words:

im…igration lan…ing int…nd

work-relate… av…liable surveil…ance

intervie…ing cle…rance continu…usly

Task 5. Match the terms and their definitions:

officer standard

check going away, leaving for

criteria close medical inspection

qualify strive to win

departure one who seeks an office or membership

medical examination baggage

competition test or standard for testing

candidate one charged with law enforcement

luggage modify or limit

communication skills developed or learned abilities

Step 2

Text work

Task 6. Read and translate the following text.