Zuiderdam drug bust

[lazey1]

Port security apparently thinks that a small pair of childs scissors is threatening. Twice I have had to go to ship security for them to physically search my baggage.

 

[DaveOKC]

My best one is a ULU knife we purchased on the previous (back to back) cruise from the HAL gift shop.  Free pass to the naughty room for me as my DW put HER item in MY suitcase.  Still had the original HAL box, bag and receipt and they did not want me to bring it onboard!

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by DaveOKC

[sergel02]

11 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Profiling suggested that a 27 year old passenger on HAL was not usual! 😉

Hey now this 29 year old has gone on HAL!

 

Then again if I was making that much money selling meth I’d probably get a private yacht or something. 
 

 

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

My best one is a ULU knife we purchased on the previous (back to back) cruise from the HAL gift shop.  Free pass to the naughty room for me as my DW put HER item in MY suitcase.  Still had the original HAL box, bag and receipt and they did not want me to bring it onboard!

 

 

 

Fell on his sword, or in this case Ulu knife, for the wife! Good man! 😉 

[Copper10-8]

6 hours ago, cruzin4us said:

Don't they scan luggage?   I mean if they can find a pint of vodka, wouldn't ya think they would spot $50 million worth of methamphetamine?   

 

All luggage is scanned/screened through  metal detector and subject to a K-9 search (usually also contracted) for explosives', not narcotics. Dope does not show up in a metal detector as it can be easily concealed in containers, and such, so that it passes the Mark 1 eye test by the machine's operator looking on his/her screen. So the "easy" solution is to start using narcotic detection K-9s to screen luggage.

 

Btw, this is not the first time pax have attempted to smuggle dope into a country as cruise ship passengers and, more than likely, won't be the last but it has not been an "everyday," nor a common occurrence 

 

https://crew-center.com/4-arrested-sydney-after-30kg-cocaine-found-cruise-ship

[cccole]

3 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Port (contract) Security initially, and when they locate something on their screen which doesn't look right, they will notify ship security and, in this case (San Diego), San Diego Port Police

 

Awesome job in Tahiti by ship security and (in this case) the French Gendarmerie Nationale

If San Diego Port Police noticed something odd why did it take until French Polynesia to make the bust?  They stopped in Avalon and the Hawaiian Islands? Were U.S. Port Police o.k. because he was not taking it off the ship.  He may have taken some off in Hawaii.  Possibly it was not detected in San Diego, and only in Raiatea using canines.   It just seems strange to let it go that long if you knew he had drugs.  JMO. Cherie  

[rkacruiser]

13 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Profiling suggested that a 27 year old passenger on HAL was not usual! 😉

 

Pier 40 in New York, August, 1971, my 21 year old Brother had the luggage that he had with him when we disembarked Rotterdam V and was taken aside and searched.  All three of us on that cruise had put all of our dirty clothes in that one bag.  All the C&I inspector found was stinky socks, dirty underwear and clothes, with a mixture of clothes from my Mother and both my Brother and me.  I wonder if the Inspectors wore gloves at that time?  

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, cccole said:

If San Diego Port Police noticed something odd why did it take until French Polynesia to make the bust?  They stopped in Avalon and the Hawaiian Islands? Were U.S. Port Police o.k. because he was not taking it off the ship.  He may have taken some off in Hawaii.  Possibly it was not detected in San Diego, and only in Raiatea using canines.   It just seems strange to let it go that long if you knew he had drugs.  JMO. Cherie  

 

Hi Cherie; SD Port PD did not notice something odd because they are not the ones doing the luggage scanning at the port of San Diego, contract port security does that and it is they, if they see "something odd," that then notify SD Port Police and Ship Security. So we can assume that in this case, nothing odd was observed in this doper's luggage because, if it was, there would have been follow up and, more than likely, we would be reading about a dope bust in San Diego 😉 

[Wakepatrol]

[cccole]

Hi Copper 10-8, I misunderstood your post #24.  I thought ship security and San Diego Port Police had been notified.  I have volunteered with the TSA canine unit at LAX but when I wander the airport my bag is filled with explosives not drugs.

 

Hope you're doing well and another cruise is in the near future.  Cherie

[OlsSalt]

For the record, my husband's luggage is always tagged as having undergone a TSA special inspection. Always his, it is a running joke with us. Mine never.

 

Got to thinking why this has been the case now for several years. DH is a retired MD and does have that identified on his luggage tag - does TSA do "special inspections" on MD's luggage, looking for drugs, or looking for perhaps their own "business opportunities" to confiscate any drugs?

 

Once looking out the window of our plane ready to taxi off, we noticed two ground crews exchanging cash for a plain brown wrapper box.  Hmmmmmm.....

[Copper10-8]

31 minutes ago, Wakepatrol said:

 

Popeye Doyle! One of the best pursuit scenes ever in a movie! "Bullit" with Steve McQueen. In SF is another one

[MisterMatthew]

Wow.

Double wow.

I will be on this ship in less than 2 weeks.

[MisterMatthew]

8 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

HAL only looks for booze!

 

Lol!!!

[mamaofami]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

All luggage is scanned/screened through  metal detector and subject to a K-9 search (usually also contracted) for explosives', not narcotics. Dope does not show up in a metal detector as it can be easily concealed in containers, and such, so that it passes the Mark 1 eye test by the machine's operator looking on his/her screen. So the "easy" solution is to start using narcotic detection K-9s to screen luggage.

 

Btw, this is not the first time pax have attempted to smuggle dope into a country as cruise ship passengers and, more than likely, won't be the last but it has not been an "everyday," nor a common occurrence 

 

https://crew-center.com/4-arrested-sydney-after-30kg-cocaine-found-cruise-ship

John, in NYC, many years ago, we were visiting the Veendam, obviously before 9/11 although I only was allowed because we had previously been passengers, we watched them training the dogs on the roof of the parking garage. I thought it was for drugs then, but I know you know of what you speak. Interesting, thinking of bringing explosives o board. Why should that surprise me?

[OlsSalt]

1 minute ago, mamaofami said:

John, in NYC, many years ago, we were visiting the Veendam, obviously before 9/11 although I only was allowed because we had previously been passengers, we watched them training the dogs on the roof of the parking garage. I thought it was for drugs then, but I know you know of what you speak. Interesting, thinking of bringing explosives o board. Why should that surprise me?

 

Our embarkation on another smaller cruise line leaving Singapore years ago was delayed for hours with no explanation. We and everyone else waited and waited and waited.

 

Later it came out that a disgruntled  former employee had phoned in a bomb threat, and they had to inspect the ship literally stem to stern before boarding passengers again. So things like this can and have happened.

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, mamaofami said:

John, in NYC, many years ago, we were visiting the Veendam, obviously before 9/11 although I only was allowed because we had previously been passengers, we watched them training the dogs on the roof of the parking garage. I thought it was for drugs then, but I know you know of what you speak. Interesting, thinking of bringing explosives o board. Why should that surprise me?

 

 

Hi Carol; I was a Police K-9 handler in L.A. for five years; Best assignment ever! My dog's name was Wodan (think Norse Mythology) and he, like me, was born and raised in The Netherlands.

 

Here's how you can tell the difference between a narcotics-detection and an explosives-detection K-9: when a narcotics-detection K-9 alerts, he/she will go crazy; barking and scratching with the ears up and the tail going ninety miles a minute, at the location (or container/packaging) of the find. Why does the dog do that? In his/her mind, they think they just located their favorite play toy because that's how they train to locate narcotics; the toy is associated with various kinds of illegal narcotics. That's also why, as soon as the handler sees the alert of the K-9, he/she (the handler, not the dog 😉) will toss that favorite dog toy (before the alert, securely hidden in the handler's pant pocket) in the direction of the K-9. The dog sees his/her fav toy and this immediately confirms in his/her dog brain that "Hey, I located my toy and I am a good girl/boy" The handler will immediately reassure that feeling and play drive of the dog (a must for detection dogs) by lots of verbal praise and physical contact directed at the dog. 

 

Now, for a explosives-detection dog, you can surely imagine (and I'm not calling you Shirley 😉) why you don't want the K-9 to go nuts when he/she positively alerts on a potential explosive! You don't want him/her going ape caca over that find. Instead, when an explosive-detection dog alerts on i.e. a suspicious suitcase, crate, package, you name it, he/she will do so by calmly sitting, freezing (not the one when you're super cold, but remaining super still) and/or laying down next to the find. The dog will also be rewarded by his/her handler when he/she alerts, but in the form of food, i.e. his/her favorite treat, not by a toy.

 

Either way, when it all comes together after hours and hours of training (which never stops), it's extremely rewarding for both the K-9 and handler 🙂   

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, MisterMatthew said:

Wow.

Double wow.

I will be on this ship in less than 2 weeks.

 

 

So will I and looking very much fwd to same! Great ship and crew!

[MisterMatthew]

That's the spirit, Copper!

 

----Matthew

[MisterMatthew]

There is a cable t.v. show.. cannot recall the network.  But, it is titled TO CATCH A SMUGGLER.  It has showed some things in Peru.  And, in Brazil.  Wow, how the airports/staff find the bad guys -- just fascinating!

[chengkp75]

7 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Hi Carol; I was a Police K-9 handler in L.A. for five years;

I thought I remembered an avatar picture of you and Wotan, John.

[puppycanducruise]

@Copper10-8Thanks for the info and the picture. 

[trixiee]

1 hour ago, puppycanducruise said:

@Copper10-8Thanks for the info and the picture. 

yes.  Amazing mustaches!  on the men, not the doggies!😀

[HAL4NOW]

15 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Hi Carol; I was a Police K-9 handler in L.A. for five years; Best assignment ever! My dog's name was Wodan (think Norse Mythology) and he, like me, was born and raised in The Netherlands.

 

Here's how you can tell the difference between a narcotics-detection and an explosives-detection K-9: when a narcotics-detection K-9 alerts, he/she will go crazy; barking and scratching with the ears up and the tail going ninety miles a minute, at the location (or container/packaging) of the find. Why does the dog do that? In his/her mind, they think they just located their favorite play toy because that's how they train to locate narcotics; the toy is associated with various kinds of illegal narcotics. That's also why, as soon as the handler sees the alert of the K-9, he/she (the handler, not the dog 😉) will toss that favorite dog toy (before the alert, securely hidden in the handler's pant pocket) in the direction of the K-9. The dog sees his/her fav toy and this immediately confirms in his/her dog brain that "Hey, I located my toy and I am a good girl/boy" The handler will immediately reassure that feeling and play drive of the dog (a must for detection dogs) by lots of verbal praise and physical contact directed at the dog. 

 

Now, for a explosives-detection dog, you can surely imagine (and I'm not calling you Shirley 😉) why you don't want the K-9 to go nuts when he/she positively alerts on a potential explosive! You don't want him/her going ape caca over that find. Instead, when an explosive-detection dog alerts on i.e. a suspicious suitcase, crate, package, you name it, he/she will do so by calmly sitting, freezing (not the one when you're super cold, but remaining super still) and/or laying down next to the find. The dog will also be rewarded by his/her handler when he/she alerts, but in the form of food, i.e. his/her favorite treat, not by a toy.

 

Either way, when it all comes together after hours and hours of training (which never stops), it's extremely rewarding for both the K-9 and handler 🙂   

Wodan is definitely the best looking officer in the picture.

[frankc98376]

I was on Noordam III back in the 80's in Mexico. As I recall the entire casino staff was escorted off by authorities.   We heard had something to do with theft or embezzlement. Never did hear exactly what had happened.

May be off on some details but was in my 20's then and as long as we had Bartenders I was good!

Edited March 24, 2022 by frankc98376