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Cash smuggling ring at Boston airport

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Traderd

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Feb 4, 2005
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http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/3...ng-sting-at-boston-airport/?intcmp=latestnews

Four ground operations crew members of JetBlue Airways and one Delta Air Lines customer service ramp agent were arrested Thursday on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the Transportation Security Administration.

Federal prosecutors say they used their security clearance to circumvent TSA checkpoints and smuggle cash to secure areas. In return, each allegedly received a payment from a cooperating witness who posed as a member of a drug-trafficking organization while working with law enforcement.
 
It's unclear whether they had an ongoing operation or if they were put up to it by a government agent. How many 24 year olds are going to turn down, say, $10000 in cash for carrying in a duffel bag with nothing more harmful than printed cloth? It's entirely possible an undercover gov't dude hatches a "you'll make money, nobody gets hurt" foolproof plan, asks around a bunch of young, minimum wage SIDA badge carriers until he gets a bite, finds a few nibbles, and then "uncovers" a smuggling operation. He gets promoted, the Justice Dept. scores a win, and a bunch of nobodies go to prison at a cost to the taxpayers of millions. Yay for the good guys, I guess.

I'm not saying it's right, but it doesn't look like we have a bunch of criminal masterminds here.
 
Blue, these "stings" are designed to create FUD for real criminals. Unfortunate when you've baited a scapegoat rather than a bonafide career criminal, but thats how they like to send the "message." Not much different when the Gov't recruits so-called terrorists to execute mock attacks. Much easier to create your own "criminal activity" then trying to thwart a genuine one which is more difficult to detect and foil.
 
Also, like the show COPS, these scenarios leave the public with a (sometimes) false impression that LE is on the job taking out criminals regularly and efficiently, when in reality they are creating the crime themselves and finding stooges to take a fall. These "staged" theatrics leave the mass public with an impression that the "long arm of the law" WILL catch you if you attempt to engage in nefarious actions. Reminds me of the occasional hit-man setups that dupe would-be clients to kill someone for money - usually the wife wants her husband murdered for insurance or something. Theses undercover LE officers openly hold out as as hit-men for hire, hoping that someone looking to ice someone takes the bait. Its all a deception to think the law holds more efficacy then they really do. In reality, more crimes go unsolved then solved, sadly. Most often because of an overwhelming amount of crimes vs. the budget and man power to actually dedicate resources to pursue, solve and successfully prosecute these crimes.
 

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