Dear Editor,
I write to you with respect to your article carried in the Sunday Stabroek, December 9, 2007 titled: Airlines Looking at Extra Security Measures to Thwart Drug Mules. I read your article hoping that your interviews with the various airlines would allay the fears of the travelling consumer.
The concerns of passengers are serious. It is they who innocently risk finding themselves both at the Guyana airport or airports abroad with extra checked-in luggage in their name with illegal contents, and with the onus of disproving that such luggage is not theirs. Those more familiar with the law will advise just how dangerous this is.
You reported sometime ago that the Head of the Presidential Secretariat had mentioned that some airport staff are collaborating to facilitate drug trafficking. This is not unknown and the management of the airlines are fully cognizant of this. The management should also be aware of their staff members who may be involved.
The rapid and drastic change of lifestyle of staff is often the chief indicator. My question is how are the airlines dealing with this? Are these staff placed in less critical operations positions? Are their contracts renewed? Are their services terminated? My guess is the very airlines you speak to continue to stare sluggishly into space and imagine they are dealing with this very serious problem. Or really are unconcerned about this issue.
Frankly, I do not have any concern here about what seems fair. My position, as selfish as it may be, is that I, the paying innocent passenger, have no desire to arrive in New York, or anywhere else for that matter, with 50kgs of cocaine in checked in luggage bearing my name, be harassed, incarcerated and have to source money, a lot of money, to pay lawyers for my defence.
And/or to face the possibility of a large sentence and penalty, and the permanent tarnishing of my name.
While I read your article with interest, I must confess that there is nothing said by the management of airlines that really allays my fears.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Persaud
