Major drugs haul

[j.sabourn]

#18 The worse I saw in my early days at sea and this was on Dry Ships was the bond put on board especially for Customs and immigration in Venezuela . I was told by the ships officers that every customs officer demanded at least two bottles of spirits and two cartons of cigarettes , otherwise the personal crews manifests would be examined in detail down to the last razor blade used or not and the fines would be excessive . Delays to the ship would be the result and was cheaper to pay them off . Coming in a close second was Liberia I had a visit from the harbour master and the chief customs officer once , both dripping with
medals and gold braid complaining that our courtesy flag was still flying and it was past sunset and what wasI going to do about it. The third mate pulled it down and I told them to pzzz off, so they went to see the chief steward and pulled his store room to pieces , how he paid them off I didn’t want to know. Cheers JS.

[Ivan Cloherty]

#18 The worse I saw in my early days at sea and this was on Dry Ships was the bond put on board especially for Customs and immigration in Venezuela . I was told by the ships officers that every customs officer demanded at least two bottles of spirits and two cartons of cigarettes , otherwise the personal crews manifests would be examined in detail down to the last razor blade used or not and the fines would be excessive . Delays to the ship would be the result and was cheaper to pay them off . . Cheers JS.

Same procedure in every port in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile, often wondered how much cargo capacity we lost carrying bribes for Customs, Immigration, Agents and anyone else who could get their snouts in the trough, especially as we averaged 12/15 ports per trip, cargo stowage plans were a bluddy nightmare especially as you would be discharging over the port side whilst loading over the starboard side.......Happy days

[happy daze john in oz]

Over the last few years our customs have caught a number of drugs attempting to enter the country.

One lot were hidden inside tins of Tomato's coming from Canada.
One lot in large tins of Olive oil from Italy.

Obviously those attempting to export the drugs use a number of countries as a source.

[Allen James Jones]

Now living in a retirement village in Cambridge NZ. Most of my time prior to that was up in the Bay of Islands. I ran the port of Opua for many years dealing mainly with yachts (motor and sail) plus cruise ships. Pastime was sailing. Circumnavigated NZ and up to the Pacific. Did quite a few deliveries Tonga-NZ and back for a yacht charter business after retirement. Like to think that I am Victor Meldrew of the St Kilda retirement village. Take no crap.

[j.sabourn]

Never heard of Opua , although may have been there , as was quite often in what I assumed was Whangerai at the oil Terminal there or thereabouts. Know it was a heck of a walk back from the nearest pub, alright going was the coming back. JS

[Bryan Portwig]

its the norm nowadays to bust major drug hauls being brought into south africa - one just this week in dbn harbour the other a few weeks ago thru king shaka airport - the newer international airport - the old one is not in use anymore

durban.jpgkingshaka dbn airport.jpg

[happy daze john in oz]

We received a letter yesterday from UK.
From my brother in law with a copy of his Christmas trip to Spain.
Not oversize but on the back a notice.

'This has been opened by Australia Post and examined by the Border Force Authority'

Why, who knows.
But according to postie if it looks a bit out of size for a normal letter they do often investigate.

[Ivan Cloherty]

We received a letter yesterday from UK.
From my brother in law with a copy of his Christmas trip to Spain.
Not oversize but on the back a notice.

'This has been opened by Australia Post and examined by the Border Force Authority'

e.

John I think you should contact them and say 'Can I please have back what was inside'

[Mo Docherty]

Pity there anit x merchant women on here to voice opinions

[Des Taff Jenkins]

My wife's sister sent us a packet of biscuits from NZ, [They make lovely biscuits there] When we got the package my wife said look at these dog's teeth marks, it was where the Customs dog had had a go at it at the Airport.
Des