- Thread starter Dolores
- Start date
Air Cocaine story airs on Netflix
But, the pilot is not required to check the bags. Not a surprise in this case that that the pilot would not even give a brief thought to screeing it himself.
And that is the reason they were acquitted. It is fascinating to learn the world of people that have private flights. I don't think I have ever even met anyone that has taken a private flight.
I saw the movie and read the reviews. The pilots did not report cocaine was on board.
The French official followed those trails. That is how it was known there were a total of at least 3 flights that were simlar, this being the third of those three.
It won't be long before that Bites him in the coolie.
I agree but there are cases where drugs are involved and the pilots are unaware. The PIVOT flight crew were eventually released on the premise that the drugs were loaded on board the aircraft at night by ground workers at PUJ. All captured on video then mysteriously lost by the police. Given the way the aircraft was loaded could have affected its flight ability, I doubt the pilots knew anything about it. Someone successfully subverted the security at PUJ. Many airports try to keep tight security but really have no control over all airport ground staff, especially those involved in drug trafficking or open to bribes. Cartels know where and when to move product and are very adept at getting around security.
No, he is not required, it is at his discretion. Acquitted or not, for a pilot this is not something you want to be known for. People taking private flights is more common than you think.
It appears that the French government found them not guilty and acquitted them. Any arguments about guilt should be directed at them.
I don't expect them back in the DR to face prison time here. Why won't the French send them back as a gesture of good faith to the DR?
This is just another ludicrous episode in the failed war on drugs.
No one mentioned one important part of Private planes. The person or company that owns the plane. The pilots work for this person or company. If that plane is caught with drugs in it the plane is CONFISCATED. Do you think an honest pilot would not be aware of this fact and take action to keep this from happening. You have one passenger with 26 100 lb. suitcases. He is not worried about the plane he is paid to fly being confiscated. And if this happened in say Miami these guys would still be in jail......................
According to a BBC artcle dated October 27, 2015
"Dominican police said their plane was carrying 26 suitcases stuffed with 680kg (1,500lb) of cocaine."
So the plane is going to take off 1,500lbs over weight and the pilots had no clue?
Article also says they were "both convicted and sentenced to 20 years."
Full article below:
French pilots flee drugs conviction in Dominican Republic
Two French pilots sentenced to jail in the Dominican Republic after their plane was found to contain hundreds of kilograms of cocaine flee to France.
www.bbc.com
The DR got it right. And the French convicted them also. They got off on an appeal. Don't know the going rate in France for an appeal reversal, but I am sure the crew could well afford it..........According to a BBC artcle dated October 27, 2015
"Dominican police said their plane was carrying 26 suitcases stuffed with 680kg (1,500lb) of cocaine."
So the plane is going to take off 1,500lbs over weight and the pilots had no clue?
Article also says they were "both convicted and sentenced to 20 years."
Full article below:
French pilots flee drugs conviction in Dominican Republic
Two French pilots sentenced to jail in the Dominican Republic after their plane was found to contain hundreds of kilograms of cocaine flee to France.
The French have a rather storied history of never extraditing French criminals to face punishment for the crimes they committed abroad.
Russia and China both have the same policy and so do many other countries.
I don't think I caught that part. She followed trails of previous flights. But my question is where did the drugs packed in the 26 suitcases come from? The suitcases were being loaded onto the plane so they did not come from a previous stop.
At least and at last an agreement that the pilot was not required to check bags. I am sure the pilots are not happy they were tried for crimes in two countries regardless of the differing outcomes.
I have absolutely no presumptions as to how many private flights exist or if they are commonplace. That is something I don't care about and fail to see the relevance of in this context. I suspect there are many flights carrying drugs around the world on a daily basis.
The French investigation was a significant part of the documentary and why they were put in jail in France for a time until acquitted upon appeal. It showed the same passenger on three different similar flights for the fellow that did not escape and probably is still in the DR. I think the bags were loade on in the same place that the passenger boarded, but there is no way to be certain of that.
Someone implied that by having more than enough money to appeal, that somehow the pilots paid off a corrupt legal system in France? Or was it that there was simply only circumstantial evidence?
