By Roadjunky, Posted Dec 04, 2006
Sections: Drug Smuggling Intro Foreign Jails Drug Money Mules and Suckers Risks v. Rewards Swallow Hashish? Smuggling techniques Smuggling Tips Smuggling Resources
 Duct tape + leg hair = bad news. |
Thanks to Mitch Cluck for the following info. You can read more about his professional strategies on the resources page.
The following points make up the average profile of a mule (a drugs courier) along with some general tips on not appearing conspicuous.
1. Age range of between 25-35 years old.
2. Being a black female.
3. Being of a different racial extraction of most of the people coming off an airplane.
4. Clothing inappropriate for going or coming from the point of origin or destination.
5. Casual dress for a 3 p.m. flight mostly occupied by businessmen where everyone else is wearing business attire.
6. Distinctive clothing such as a colorful coat or hat where a person under surveillance or suspicion has the word spread amongst the local Gestapo about that person.
7. Where a person is seen departing from an airport wearing the same clothes as they were wearing the day before when they arrived.
8. Carrying a shoulder bag. Especially untagged bags or no external ID tags.
9. 2 companions traveling together carrying shoulder bags. Especially untagged bags or no external ID tags.
10. Unusual bulges or shapes of an individual’s body shape.
11. Having no luggage or a limited amount of luggage on a trip supposedly for vacation or long term trip.
12. Suitcases that are notably empty to clerks or ticket agents.
13. Untagged luggage or tags with only last names and destination instead of being completely filled out.
14. Couriers are usually the first or last off of an airplane or bus.
15. Especially noticeable are couriers that are the first or last off that meet up and are noticeable traveling companions.
16. Couriers that are seen traveling together, splitting up at the terminal, having a limited very short whispered conversations and then splitting up. They are seen to ignore each other as they go through security/ customs. They are then seen to group together and leave the facility.
17. Creating an air of mystery and intrigue by their actions and body language.
18. Couriers traveling in single file behind each other where the leader starts and stops and the action is mirrored by the group.
19. The signaled nod between the couriers.
20. Constant trips to the bathroom or phone banks to kill time.
21. Playing “SPY” at the airport. This is where you constantly look around, eyeball people, act paranoid, keep going through security checkpoints in and out of secure areas. You know about the game of spy don’t you? This is the game where you are supposed to be at the airport. There is a spy trying to leave with the secret missile plans. You’re job – FIND HIM! Excellent fun for irritating the human authority figures!
22. Nervousness, scanning, hesitancy, caution, furtiveness, being overly cautious of people near you, playing mutual cat-and-mouse games with cops, looking directly at the agents, haste to leave the terminal directly from the airport, acts of desperation such as hailing a taxi in the rain instead of waiting in a covered area, making a beeline directly to a telephone bank as quickly as possible due to the fact that most couriers are not met at the airport,
23. Couriers traveling together will have someone that answers for the group.
24. Time killing such as going repeatedly to the restrooms without using the facilities, shopping at the airport terminal stores without really shopping or buying anything, hangs around the magazine stand without buying the wares, hanging out at the luggage carousel without picking up anything.
25. Handling 1 certain bag with more care that with the others.
26. Definite evasive action.
27. Purchasing a ticket at the desk immediately prior to departure, on the same or previous day.
28. Paying with cash from a large roll of bills in either small or large denominations.
29. Changing destinations while en-route. This does not screw up the cops ability to monitor your flights and destinations. Ticket agents report these activities to the cops. There is also a nag program in the reservation computer systems that alert the cops.
30. A lack of baggage claim tickets for a courier.
31. One-way tickets.
32. Removing or concealing claim tickets.
33. Trips of short duration with a 1 day layover with a weird trip itinerary. Such as a trip from New York to Kansas City to Los Angeles.
34. A person that swallows the load will not likely eat a meal or drink on a long airline trip.
35. A peasant from a source country.
36. Limited english language skills.
37. An attempt to pass themselves off of as higher social class than they obviously are.
38. Evidence of limited education and poor handwriting.
39. Exhibiting an excessively passive behavior and carrying a small bag.
40. A woman with an obviously peasant background with rough hands sporting a fresh manicure.
41. Mules travel alone. This is very noticeable with latin women that usually travel with a companion.
42. Someone buys the ticket and gives it to the mule. The mule doesn’t know when, where, or whom bought the ticket. They don’t know the cost or method of payment.
43. The passport will show a series of short trips in and out of the U.S. and source countries.
44. Mules usually carry about $1500 for expenses and fee.
45. Mules are usually a bit vague about their vacation plans in the U.S.
46. Mules usually have no idea where they are going to stay.
47. Mules that try to pass themselves off a businessmen have no idea of the business that they represent, no idea of the cost of equipment, where to shop for items, how to travel around other than a taxi, or no business cards.
48. Cops like to sneak up behind you with a dope dog to sniff your person.
49. Cops like to squeeze your baggage to let the dope dog sniff the air coming out of your bags.
50. If you are asked about carrying contraband, you can legally say “NO”. You cannot be convicted under 18 U.S.C. 1001 for telling an exculpatory lie to a cop. U.S. vs. HAJECATE, F2d 894, 899-900 (5th CIR 1982).
51. Locks on the luggage.
52. Don’t wear shabby of bulky clothes.
53. When crossing U.S. borders, do not drive enclosed vans, trucks, or station wagons.
54. Avoid driving alone, especially if you are an elderly man.
55. Rented car.
56. Out-of-state license plates.
57. An empty car.
58. Don’t be a walking social statement.
59. Do not make wisecracks.
60. Do not be overly helpful to cops or customs.
61. Do not be abrasive, belligerent, or weird.
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