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Posted by
2614 posts

bostonphil7 not her gun. She grabbed it off the officer.

Posted by
1062 posts

She managed to wrest the gun away from the security officer who decided that [for whatever reason] she needed to be searched. The article says that there were no delays and business went on as usual. Almost 7 pounds of cocaine is not easy to hide. Amazing.

Posted by
16323 posts

So instead of a few years in jail for smuggling, she's going to be going away for a very long time.

She's lucky she wasn't shot.

Posted by
14771 posts

And it sounded like it was in the customs detainment area so not out in the general airport. 2E is where many of us land and you just normally walk thru customs without even seeing anyone. Obviously they have eyes on you at all times which I knew but also are vigilant once people from certain locations make it thru Immigration.

Great link Lindy!

Posted by
1023 posts

Hey folks, I'm trying not to have a heavy hand here, and it's too easy to focus on the drama. Let's make sure our responses are still in line with a travel-advice forum. This isn't Reddit.

Posted by
2301 posts

Thank you to all who brought it to my attention that I missed a most important point in the article and that is that the smuggler grabbed the gun from the officer. She did not smuggle it in.

Because of a neurological problem in my brain, I have trouble reading word for word. my eyes jump around and I am always missing things.

I better understand. I have watched To Catch A Smuggler on National Geographic TV about Airports and Smugglers

Security has become suspicious of someone and is watching them. Then when security decides to move, they politely ask that person to "come with us". and they take the suspect to another room where they interrogate and conduct a search. Sometimes the person pulled out is completely innocent but can miss their plane. Are they compensated for missing their plane I wonder?

The program is called To Catch A Smuggler on National Geographic Very well recommended.

And as said, some of the persons pulled out and interrogated and searched are completely innocent but end up missing their flight.

I am going to delete my first response.

Posted by
14771 posts

But as I did say, this must have caused complete chaos in the airport including disrupting some travel plans. There must be some persons who missed connecting flights.

No, it did not cause chaos. The incident happened in the customs detainment area which is not near any gates, security or airline desks. They were in a secure area behind closed doors. They were taking her to the bathroom in that area that is not accessible to the general traveling public.

The article states:

The incident did not cause any disruptions to departing and arriving flights.

Editing to add I see the post I was responding to has been edited and the above sentence removed. I also suspect in US airports there are also secure detainment areas for customs questioning/searches. I don’t know for sure because Ive not seen them.

Posted by
2301 posts

Hi Pam,

I deleted my original post so as to rewrite. It is right above your post . Please read. Just doing the best that i can as someone who has a neurological problem within my brain. It does not allow me to sleep normally nor read word for word.

UPDATE

"Editing to add I see the post I was responding to has been edited and the above sentence removed. I also suspect in US airports there are also secure detainment areas for customs questioning/searches. I don’t know for sure because Ive not seen them."

Well I traveled some before 9/11 but last time that I flew before 9/11 was maybe in the 1970's. I traveled in the 1980's but by rail and Amtrak many times. I did not fly again until well after 2001 and I did not know how to travel.

The first time that I flew, I had an open jar of peanut butter in my carry on and I was pulled out of line . Everything was inspected in front of everyone else waiting in line. My body was sort of inspected but from the rear. I did not even know enough to move over to female security. I stood in front of male security and loudly I was moved over to female security and she kind of gave me a massage in front of everyone waiting in line. She went up and down from the behind to the neck.

This was my first time traveling in many years. It was most humiliating. I had been homebound so long that I did not know how to travel and this was years after 9/11

Posted by
1062 posts

Bostonphil7, no need to apologize. I don't have a neurological issue but still manage to misread/skip over important information.