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Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

theguardian.com

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Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#31

Post by newnewpdro »

GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

I'm under the impression that the vast majority of smuggling by individual sailors is successful and highly lucrative.

It probably doesn't take many problem-free ocean crossings before a solo sailor starts considering the possibility of carrying illicit cargo while doing what they've already been doing largely unnoticed.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#32

Post by caprese »

GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

It is hugely lucrative...

Make a quadrant chart of ways to make money with assets. The X-axis is margins and the Y-axis is overhead costs. You could even add a Z-axis for weight as you need the ability to transport a lot for scale. There are very few assets with comparatively low overhead costs, high margins, and low weight.

You pretty much just have only drugs, share dilution and - as of this decade - cryptographic tokens. They all pretty much invoke the same highs.

Worth it.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#33

Post by rajacombinator »

GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

Not too much difference from tech entrepreneurs or “hackers” (in the HN sense) tbqh. Actually a lot of hackers do much crazier stuff than sell drugs, which is a pretty well established business. Selling boxes of cereal for $40 a pop is a lot more bizarre idea, for instance. Or look at any number of activities in the crypto world, which look like pure lunacy to outsiders, but have made a lot of money. The thing is, you often can’t tell whether it’s “big balls or small brains” until after the fact.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#34

Post by wizardforhire »

GreeniFi wrote: post #22
rdiddly wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When you grow up in poverty you don't have a lot to lose. A jail bed and food might even be better than your own. Throw in any kind of abuse or trauma in your past, and you'll also tend to have little regard for your own life. Throw in the overconfidence of youth and I'd imagine it begins to seem like a huge upside with a small risk of an inconsequential downside.

Thank you. And I recognize it as true that many criminals had a hard childhood in particular. But some don’t - and I wonder what the motivation is.

You might be interested in the documentary Cocaine Cowboys.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocaine_Cowboys

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#36

Post by yowlingcat »

bartimus wrote: post #35

Nice article. But the title is a bit misleading since it's hardly mentioned how life in the island got transformed.

That's fair. It's unfortunate that The Guardian's editorial has been slipping. The TLDR is that half a ton of cocaine is 453 kilos, which at a conservative estimate of 20k/kilo is (according to Quora wholesale values so take w a grain of salt) $11M street value of product if not more. So you take that and put it side by side by the economic day to day flow of the Azores. What do you get? For a 20k gdp/capita across a 250k population well...it's a lot. I dunno if it would result in narcocapital, and i dunno enough to comment but that's a gigantic shipment with an equally gigantic potential outcome.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#37

Post by onetimemanytime »

GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

A lot of them die in their 20-30's. But then the capos live like Kings, albeit in fear, and leave their families set for life. Once in the game I'm sure human nature takes over, ambition, competition and grudges.So for a lot of them it's easy....live in poverty all their life or take a chance.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#38

Post by onetimemanytime »

jdavis703 wrote: post #17
GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

I’ve known people who did small time smuggling... nothing approaching millions of dollars. The decision is usually economically rational, i.e. they need money for something and the risk of getting caught is low enough that it’s worthwhile. Of course I imagine people who are knowingly moving millions of dollars either are reckless risk takers or think they can outsmart the weather, law enforcement, mechanics and whate…

>>Of course I imagine people who are knowingly moving millions of dollars either are reckless risk takers or think they can outsmart the weather, law enforcement, mechanics and whatever else can go wrong.

Maybe I'll do it once (good luck quitting) and buy a house or whatever. Odds of getting caught in any one event are on the lower side. If you deal for year, then you have DEA and FBI after you.

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#39

Post by lsc »

arthurcolle wrote: post #3
GreeniFi wrote: post #2

I sometimes wonder about the psychology of people who try this sort of money-making venture, ie smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs across the ocean. Do these “entrepreneurs” understand the risk they take, or do they pretend to themselves that there is no risk? Excepting where there is coercion, is it big balls or small brains? I’d love to hear from a smuggler to hear how they manage psychologically the huge d…

It's probably no different than traders who take huge risks in any kind of financial market. They probably feel like they have a better understanding of the risks than most other market participants, but when they fail it always retrospectively appears like an outsized risk to more moderated participants.

I think there's a huge difference between risking bankruptcy and risking your freedom. I mean, even leaving aside the traders who trade other people's money, even if it's your cash, once you were rich, even if you go bankrupt, you are still better off than tha vast majority of Americans, just due to your contacts and education. I mean, the difference between being a rich trader and being a mediocre IT dude are way smaller, say, than the differences between being a mediocre IT dude and being in jail.

(I actually know a few guys who went the failed trader -> IT dude route)

Re: Blow up: how half a tonne of cocaine transformed the life of an island

#40

Post by TheOtherHobbes »

GreeniFi wrote: post #20
arthurcolle wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably no different than traders who take huge risks in any kind of financial market. They probably feel like they have a better understanding of the risks than most other market participants, but when they fail it always retrospectively appears like an outsized risk to more moderated participants.

I think many traders are likely neurological outliers. Even as an entrepreneur, I can’t take investment until I know I’m on a really sure wicket and investors are as appraised as I am of all the risks involved. I know I could not handle the pressure associated with daily trading others’ money.

I think many traders are on coke anyway.

To an outsider, it might as well all be part of the same institutionalised neurotoxin industry.

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