Since yesterday, French media are going on and on about the potential smuggling opportunitues that small airports (with nobody present to supervise) represent, and business jets being good vectors for smuggling drugs and money across borders. They mention that 7% of smuggling is done using business jets.
I think the preamble for this media attention is that the two pilots that were arrested in Puerto Rico (?) for carrying drugs in their cargo, and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison, managed to escape and flee the country.
I hope this is not the beginning to the end of unattended airports in France, and a first step in creating an opinion in favour of locking down on GA under false pretenses.
Aviathor wrote:
They mention that 7% of smuggling is done using business jets.
So 93% of the problem is that cars and trucks can cross borders with marginal checks only and ships arrive with thousands of containers that are looked at in very small numbers. That’s where they should put their focus on.
Of the 7 percent 96 % are done in C-510s ;-)
Aviathor wrote:
I think the preamble for this media attention is that the two pilots that were arrested in Puerto Rico (?) for carrying drugs in their cargo, and subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison, managed to escape and flee the country.
Dom Rep apparently and no, I think they have another one to go at. There apparently was a case of smuggle by helicopter in Spain, with some rather well known pilot now in custody.
Aviathor wrote:
I hope this is not the beginning to the end of unattended airports in France, and a first step in creating an opinion in favour of locking down on GA under false pretenses.
Could well be. I have a very strange feel about France with all the stuff that has been going on in the way of harassment of GA crews there. First the LP4 saga for FR only airports, increased ramp checks as reported in many fora, cancellation of customs clearance at many small airports, now this, something is in the bush there I think. Pity. France used to be one of the best places to fly to, no longer by the looks of it.
These things hit the news here in the UK too. At some low level, drugs do get smuggled using GA, but I reckon those doing it get caught pretty fast. One is not exactly covert!
achimha wrote:
So 93% of the problem is that cars and trucks can cross borders with marginal checks only and ships arrive with thousands of containers that are looked at in very small numbers. That’s where they should put their focus on
I may have mis-quoted that somewhat.
It’s more like 7% of flights are related to some fraudulent activity. They also mentioned that you find 7% of fraud in all sectors. 7% of assurance claims are fraudulent is one example that was mentioned. 7% of the health reimbursements are fraudulent. Etc. So aviation is not over-represented. Furthermore, most of light aircraft are not very good haulers, and jet aircraft mostly go to airports with long runways and handling – not the small strips.
We could also choose to outlaw cars. The so-called go-fasts probably transport more drugs than airplanes within W Europe.
Small yachts can transport more drugs than a small plane can are are not subject to flight plans.
I can easily believe 7% of insurance claims are fraud. Much more, I would say, in domestic insurance. In lost jewellery it will be closer to 100% 
But not 7% of GA flights. That’s totally impossible.
A boat is the way to do this…
But not 7% of GA flights. That’s totally impossible.
No way. Apart maybe from some tax cheating by declaring private flights as business trips or similar. But drugs and smuggling in general? Not as far as my sector (commercial GA) is concerned.
Peter wrote:
But not 7% of GA flights. That’s totally impossible.
One of the things most frequently smuggled in private jets is money… or so they said.
Here is a link to one example of what has been said in these last few days. I could not find a link to the debate I heard yesterday evening in my car on my way home, but that was also on the same radio channel. They had invited an executive from “Aéroports de Paris”, the company that manages all of the Paris airports, including Toussus, Pontoise, St Cyr and Lognes, as well as a couple of aviation “experts”. It was also mentioned on national television news yesterday evening.
Found it! For those of you who understand French: “Les Jets privés: nouveaux vaisseaux des contrebandiers”
Sorry – French only :-(
