Drug mules

Yesterday all of South Africa was shocked at the news that a South African woman had been executed by lethal injection in China. Her crime? Smuggling 3kg of crystal metamphemine into China. The story of her impending execution  has been in all the South African media, TV, radio, newspapers and magazines for several weeks now. 


This morning's newspaper headlines is of  a 23 year old South African woman arrested in Thailand for trying to smuggle 1.5kg of cocaine into the country. The cocaine was concealed in her dreadlocks. This young woman is the product of one of the top girls schools in the country and was said to be studying law at one of our top Universities. Her sentence in Thailand, if found guilty, could be from 20 years to life imprisonment. Her payment for carrying the drugs? A measly $2000.


Now what really gets to me is that with the extensive media coverage of the above case, what on earth was this woman thinking? 


At the moment there are 12 South Africans in Thai jails for drug smuggling offences. Around the world dozens more, especially in South America. All these cases get extensive coverage in the SA media, yet there are always willing dupes. The strange part is that most of the offenders are young women.


Is the lure of easy money so overpowering that all sense and morality flies out the window?