KRM 320
ARTICLE SUMMARIES & CRITICAL THINKING
ACTIVITIES
Rachel Tapson
, Theme 4: Female drug related offences and sex work
Article summaries:
Vanessa Goosen article:
Make sure you know who she is?
Vanessa Goosen (21 years old) was a former Miss South Africa finalist who was
arrested at the Bangkok for carrying drugs hidden in a textbook that her partner
asked her to take for a friend.
Why is her story relevant to the theme?
Her story demonstrates an example of a drug-mule who didn’t even know she was
being a drug mule. She could have been a decoy drug mule to distract away from a
larger smuggler.
What were the circumstances she found herself in and why?
She was arrested for carrying 1.7kgs of heroin hidden in a textbook. She found
herself in this situation as she was doing her partner, who she trusted, a favour by
transporting the textbooks.
What were the consequences?
She spent 16 years in a Bangkok prison for a crime she didn’t even commit, and she
had to give birth to her baby in prison which meant the baby had to live with her
friends and grew up not knowing her mother.
Article: Drug mules in a South African context
➢ What types of drugs do South Africans drug mules carry, from where and
destined for which markets?
Cocaine from South America & Heroin from Afghanistan and East Asia destined for
Southern African and European markets
➢ Why is South Africa seen as an ideal place for illicit drug trade?
Because of its developed transportation infrastructures, modern international
telecommunication and banking systems and porous borders
➢ Where does South Africa rank in the world in terms of the number of citizens
serving prison sentences in foreign countries for drug trafficking crimes?
South Africa is ranked 8th out of 159 countries
- What are approximate numbers?
Well over 1 500 South Africans are serving prison sentences abroad for drug
smuggling crimes.
Rachel Tapson
, - Why is it difficult to ascertain more exact numbers?
Many South African embassies overseas are simply not being informed by a host
country’s authorities of the imprisonment of South African citizens, let alone that
those imprisoned in foreign prisons have been incarcerated for drug smuggling.
➢ What modes of transport are used for drug smuggling (illicit and illicit)?
In illicit transit the drugs are smuggled across borders using private or unscheduled
vehicles
In licit transit, drugs are hidden in regular cargo or baggage on flights or by means of
parcels through postal services
➢ What methods do authorities employ to detect drugs?
Airports and seaports are now increasingly being equipped with sophisticated
container and baggage scanners
Postal distribution centers, that handle international mail, also regularly screen
packages
Full-body scans, X-rays of people and luggage, ion scanners that can detect minute
particles of illicit substances, and sniffer dogs are used
➢ Why are drug mules and their family members reluctant to participate in
research?
They fear for their own lives (syndicates are dangerous), they want to protect their
families and their recruiters (often close friends, romantic partners) are still active
members of syndicates, so they would not want to be seen as "snitches"
➢ Define a drug mule.
A person, acting as a courier, (a ‘mule’ or a ‘beast of burden’), who
transports/smuggles illegal drugs, specifically narcotics, usually across international
borders, by either swallowing or concealing them (wrapped in various plastic
receptacles/containers) in a body cavity or merely strapped to the body concealed
under clothing, in luggage or hidden in a transport vehicle. Such smuggling
activities are usually done at the behest of drug smuggling
syndicates/organisations.
➢ Types of drug mules
1. Self-employed drug mule
- Smuggles drugs as a form of self-enrichment and no syndicate is involved
2. ‘Petty smuggler’
- Use less sophisticated ways of smuggling e.g., smuggling drugs in the boot
of a car or in a backpack
Rachel Tapson
ARTICLE SUMMARIES & CRITICAL THINKING
ACTIVITIES
Rachel Tapson
, Theme 4: Female drug related offences and sex work
Article summaries:
Vanessa Goosen article:
Make sure you know who she is?
Vanessa Goosen (21 years old) was a former Miss South Africa finalist who was
arrested at the Bangkok for carrying drugs hidden in a textbook that her partner
asked her to take for a friend.
Why is her story relevant to the theme?
Her story demonstrates an example of a drug-mule who didn’t even know she was
being a drug mule. She could have been a decoy drug mule to distract away from a
larger smuggler.
What were the circumstances she found herself in and why?
She was arrested for carrying 1.7kgs of heroin hidden in a textbook. She found
herself in this situation as she was doing her partner, who she trusted, a favour by
transporting the textbooks.
What were the consequences?
She spent 16 years in a Bangkok prison for a crime she didn’t even commit, and she
had to give birth to her baby in prison which meant the baby had to live with her
friends and grew up not knowing her mother.
Article: Drug mules in a South African context
➢ What types of drugs do South Africans drug mules carry, from where and
destined for which markets?
Cocaine from South America & Heroin from Afghanistan and East Asia destined for
Southern African and European markets
➢ Why is South Africa seen as an ideal place for illicit drug trade?
Because of its developed transportation infrastructures, modern international
telecommunication and banking systems and porous borders
➢ Where does South Africa rank in the world in terms of the number of citizens
serving prison sentences in foreign countries for drug trafficking crimes?
South Africa is ranked 8th out of 159 countries
- What are approximate numbers?
Well over 1 500 South Africans are serving prison sentences abroad for drug
smuggling crimes.
Rachel Tapson
, - Why is it difficult to ascertain more exact numbers?
Many South African embassies overseas are simply not being informed by a host
country’s authorities of the imprisonment of South African citizens, let alone that
those imprisoned in foreign prisons have been incarcerated for drug smuggling.
➢ What modes of transport are used for drug smuggling (illicit and illicit)?
In illicit transit the drugs are smuggled across borders using private or unscheduled
vehicles
In licit transit, drugs are hidden in regular cargo or baggage on flights or by means of
parcels through postal services
➢ What methods do authorities employ to detect drugs?
Airports and seaports are now increasingly being equipped with sophisticated
container and baggage scanners
Postal distribution centers, that handle international mail, also regularly screen
packages
Full-body scans, X-rays of people and luggage, ion scanners that can detect minute
particles of illicit substances, and sniffer dogs are used
➢ Why are drug mules and their family members reluctant to participate in
research?
They fear for their own lives (syndicates are dangerous), they want to protect their
families and their recruiters (often close friends, romantic partners) are still active
members of syndicates, so they would not want to be seen as "snitches"
➢ Define a drug mule.
A person, acting as a courier, (a ‘mule’ or a ‘beast of burden’), who
transports/smuggles illegal drugs, specifically narcotics, usually across international
borders, by either swallowing or concealing them (wrapped in various plastic
receptacles/containers) in a body cavity or merely strapped to the body concealed
under clothing, in luggage or hidden in a transport vehicle. Such smuggling
activities are usually done at the behest of drug smuggling
syndicates/organisations.
➢ Types of drug mules
1. Self-employed drug mule
- Smuggles drugs as a form of self-enrichment and no syndicate is involved
2. ‘Petty smuggler’
- Use less sophisticated ways of smuggling e.g., smuggling drugs in the boot
of a car or in a backpack
Rachel Tapson
