1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, welcome back to the show. 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: My name is Matt, my name is Noel. They call 6 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: me Ben. We are joined as always with our superproducer Alexis, 7 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: code named Doc Holiday Jackson. Most importantly, you are you, 8 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: You are here, and that makes this stuff they don't 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: want you to know. You may notice, fellow listeners, is 10 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: STU conspiracy realists that our superproducer Alexis has a code name. Now. 11 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: It is not TB D, it is not allegedly. It 12 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: is code named Doc Holiday. It is very important to her. 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: She told us off air that we say the full thing, 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: so not just Doc Holiday. It has to be code 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: named Colan Doc Holiday. I don't know, I love it. 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: What do you guys think? I love it? Are you 17 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: gonna say colon every time as well? Or is the 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: colon just implied? No, no, no, that's just a one 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: time speak out. And also, you know we've got a 20 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: lot of doctors in the audience, of course, so the 21 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: colon is always implied exactly. I think. I think Alexis 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: are gonna have to trim it down at some point 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: just to to talk about you in shorthand to uh 24 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: code holiday. I think I like that. It's pretty good too. Well, well, 25 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: you know we're working it out right. We've got a 26 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: thumbs up, got thumbs up from our producer. So this 27 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,960 Speaker 1: is as as you know, long time listeners, this is 28 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: our weekly Strange New segment where where the three of 29 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: us get together at a meeting of the minds and 30 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 1: we talk about some reports, some allegations, rumors, some news 31 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: stories that have not gotten the mainstream shake they deserve. 32 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,560 Speaker 1: We usually each give you one and we presented to 33 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 1: our colleagues. Uh. Sometimes off air we figure out which 34 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: order we want to do things in, but I don't 35 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,920 Speaker 1: think we did today. I went first last time. Who 36 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: wants to go first this time? Okay, it'll be me 37 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: then Hero. Sure. So for our story, this first story, 38 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: we're gonna take a little trip to a place that 39 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 1: maybe you haven't been for a while, maybe you've never 40 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: been there, maybe you don't even know where it is, 41 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: but you should and you will learn right now. Papua 42 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: New Guinea. You may have heard it called Papua New Guinea. 43 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: That's incorrect. Uh. There was something strange that happened on 44 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: the way to Australia from Papua New Guinea, and it 45 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: was a plane crash, a very strange plane crash. It 46 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: was one of these smaller planes that you may have seen, 47 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: similar to a Cessna, where you know, you have a 48 00:02:56,639 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: few people on board and you've got a little bit 49 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: of space for cargo, but not much else other than that. 50 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: This plane crashed very recently. I believe it was last 51 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: week when it occurred, just before the weekend. And when 52 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: the plane crashed, you know, authorities thought, okay, well there's 53 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: a little Cessna four oh two s. It's a little 54 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: twin engine aircraft. It went down, and when authorities found 55 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: the wreckage of this plane, there was nobody around. There 56 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: was no there were no bodies as in somebody got 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: you know, gravely injured or died. They couldn't really figure 58 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: out what happened to this plane. It was just left 59 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: there in the middle of essentially nowhere near um near 60 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: an airport that was I believe it was a restricted 61 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: airport or is there an airport that generally wasn't supposed 62 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: to be used. So they look up the registration of 63 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: this plane. It was registered to a Papua New Guinea company. 64 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: It was called Raven Poll Number sixty nine Ltd or Limited. 65 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: And there was one I guy named Jeffrey Bull Paul 66 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 1: who was the sole proprietor of this company. He's the 67 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: only person, the only shareholder that had anything to do 68 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,280 Speaker 1: with Raven Poll Number sixty nine Limited. But here's the deal. 69 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: He died almost exactly a year ago when he was 70 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: stabbed to death in a city there in Papua New 71 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: Guinea called Port Moresby. So then the authorities are trying 72 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: to track down what the heck is going on with 73 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: this Well, how did this plane registered to this guy 74 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: who died last year end up here crashing now all 75 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 1: of a sudden, And as they continued to try and 76 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: figure out what was going on here, Long story short, 77 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: there was the biggest drug bust that has occurred, I believe, 78 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 1: ever in Papua New Guinea. It's the biggest one ever 79 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 1: in the history of Papua New Guinea. Five hundreds of 80 00:04:52,720 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: cocaine were discovered and taken into custody. That's or in 81 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: two pounds of cocaine, and like how much weight can 82 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: one of these little planes carry? Like what, like, what's 83 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: the limit for one of these aircrafts in general with 84 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: like maximum passenger and weight and stuff. It seems to 85 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: me like it wouldn't be a hell of a lot 86 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: more than that. That's insane. Well, no, there are heavy 87 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 1: calculations you have to make with regards to the amount 88 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: of way to plane can carry, like that when you're 89 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: comparing it to the amount of fuel you have to carry, 90 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: because the fuel actually carries weight as well. It's a 91 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: it's a fun, little fun little bit of I guess calculus, 92 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: uh to make that happen. I've never had to calculate 93 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: that before. Oh, it's a it's a cession of four 94 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: oh two, right, Matt, Yes, four or two four or 95 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: two ce. So in general four O two c is 96 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: gonna have uh maximum takeoff weight of six thousand, eight 97 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty pounds, so big. Maybe it's a wasteable, 98 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: is what I'm saying. Yeah, it's not too unreasonable. But 99 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: we also have to imagine that there would be a 100 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: pilot or some kind of crew. Right, This wasn't an 101 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: autonomous plane, was it. Well, yeah, so you guys are 102 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: you're you're getting to the main point here. It appears, 103 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: and this this has not been fully confirmed yet, but 104 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: it appears as though the the amount of cocaine, the 105 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: bricks essentially that we're packed onto this plane probably led 106 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: to it crashing and not being able to carry that 107 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: much weight. We cannot confirm that as of right now. 108 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,160 Speaker 1: Maybe there was something else that happened. We don't have 109 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: enough information yet, but if so, it would mean that 110 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: someone was attempting to smuggle more cocaine than they could 111 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: carry out of Papua New Guinea to take it back 112 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: to Australia, apparently because there was one Australian man who 113 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: turned himself into the authorities there in Papua New Guinea. 114 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: He was he's been charged with immigration offenses, but it's 115 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: likely that he's going to be charged with drug importation. 116 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: I think that's going to be it's expected to be 117 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 1: laid against this one person, and he appears to be 118 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: the pilot, the person that was actually attempting to take 119 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 1: that aircraft out. And then it also seems again this 120 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: is an ongoing investigation, but it seems like there was 121 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: a whole group of people what the Guardian refers to 122 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: as a syndicate that was in based in Papua New Guinea. 123 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,320 Speaker 1: Who was you know, actually doing something with the cocaine 124 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: itself to then get it on the plane to get 125 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: it to Australia. And here's a quote from the Guardian 126 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: article from which I am reading says police are in 127 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:40,200 Speaker 1: possession of information related to the suspected pn G members 128 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: of the group who have been involved in this criminal activity, 129 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: including descriptions, unique features and tattoos. Oh, there was a 130 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: truck apparently that had something to do with this, where 131 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 1: there are a bunch of hidden compartments built into the 132 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: truck itself in at the chassis where they were storing 133 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: a lot of these drugs. Uh uh, It's really really 134 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: interesting stuff. It's interesting too because wasn't it like some 135 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: kind of makeshift like air field that it crashed at. Um? 136 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: I wonder what that even means, Like, Um, what does 137 00:08:12,200 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: a makeshift air field? I guess they just kind of 138 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: like cleared some brush, you know, in in in the 139 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: rough shape of a landing strip. Doesn't seem very safe, 140 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: is what I'm getting out. I'm unsure the pictures that 141 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: are available online that you can see it looks as 142 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: though the plane crashed into what essentially looks like a 143 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 1: grassy field that has a bunch of trees in it, 144 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: so probably would be pretty dangerous and so mad. I mean, 145 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: we're talking a thousand pounds of cocaine. It wasn't like 146 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,959 Speaker 1: in one big brick, right, Like, how is it? Uh, 147 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: how was it hidden in this in this craft or 148 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,600 Speaker 1: was it hidden at all? No, it wasn't it. The 149 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: drugs weren't found at the plane crash site. Somebody in 150 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 1: Papua New Guinea or the Australian man or somebody came 151 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: and got those drugs out from the crash site and 152 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: move them elsewhere. Yeah. From my understanding, here's what the 153 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: authorities currently think happened, but I should say officially think happened. Uh. 154 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: They do think the plane was overloaded. That's interesting because 155 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: we just confirmed the Cessna can carry more than uh 156 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: one thousand or eleven pounds worth of something. But they 157 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: think the this Cessna crash when it was attempting to 158 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: take off, and then they think the pilot came back 159 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:32,719 Speaker 1: later in the afternoon between one and two thirty to 160 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: collect the drugs. Uh. And they you know, there's some 161 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: things I'm not clear on here not to sound too skeptical, 162 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: but with any official report of a large scale drug bust, 163 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,720 Speaker 1: I always wonder how much they actually found, you know 164 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,480 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like, I can't believe we've busted one 165 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: thousand pounds of cocaine, and someone else's like, you know, 166 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: a day later at the press conference, they're like, we 167 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,200 Speaker 1: can't believe we found eight hundred pounds cocaine, and then 168 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: by the time you know it gets the evidence room, 169 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: they're like, five pounds of cocaine. That's amazing. But we know, 170 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: first off, this is a port Moresby is the capital city, 171 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,160 Speaker 1: but this is also a pretty small country, so I 172 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: feel like moving weight to that degree, especially if you 173 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: have international ties to organized crime, like the Australians you 174 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: mentioned matter suspected to be in with the UH some 175 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: Italian organized criminals. I feel like it's it's easy to 176 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:35,559 Speaker 1: spot anomalies now. As far as specifically where they were 177 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 1: caught and how they were apprehended, I haven't seen a 178 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: lot of details yet, but I have seen people guessing 179 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: that because of the size of the plane they made, 180 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: they took the flight multiple legs, like they made the 181 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: first leg and then they had to stop and refuel 182 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: for the seconds. Yeah, and then trying to take off 183 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: on that second time is when everything went sideways or 184 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: great for the authorities. Yeah. Yeah. One thing I forgot 185 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: to mention here the pilot did come or the plane 186 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: itself did come from Australia. We we know that. And 187 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: here is the crazy thing about that, And I've I've 188 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: never heard of this. Maybe this is just something that 189 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:23,000 Speaker 1: occurs um that's just slipped past my knowledge all this time. 190 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,800 Speaker 1: But the Cessna was flying at around three thousand feet 191 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: altitude while it made its way from Australia over to 192 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: Papua New Guinea and that what that does is essentially 193 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: probably hopefully keeps you off of radar if you're flying 194 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: that way. Because they did enter into the country illegally, 195 00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: without permission, without any knowledge from any authorities. That plane 196 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: came into the country and and landed or tried to land, 197 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: depending on what happened, and the authorities from both countries 198 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: gave themselves a good old pad on the back. At 199 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: the end of this article, the Australian Border Force Assistant 200 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,680 Speaker 1: Commissioner got named Peter Timpson uh said quote this particularly 201 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: audacious attempt shows just how brazen criminal enterprises can be, 202 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 1: but it also highlights just how effective the law enforcement 203 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: response can be when we all work together. So, you know, 204 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: do you think he was cooked up when he's made 205 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: that statement. I'm kidding. I can neither confirm nor deny that. Uh, 206 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: that's bonkers, man' I don't know that I've ever heard 207 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: of this much drugs being moved in one fell swoop. 208 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: I guess you think of kilos from like movies or like, 209 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: you know, if you're the one to watch Narcos, it's 210 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: like a size of like a bible, kind of maybe 211 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: a little bit bigger. It's like a bundle usually comes 212 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: in like a you know, prepackaged thing looks like a 213 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: brick almost, So five hundred of those that's wild. Um well, 214 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,440 Speaker 1: I guess, uh, sort of a happy ending because man, 215 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 1: of all of the drug trade stuff, cocaine is one 216 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:02,320 Speaker 1: of the anasties in terms of like the cartels and 217 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 1: the loss of life and just the way that it 218 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,200 Speaker 1: just the you know, the chain of misery that goes 219 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: into that is just pretty pretty intense. You know, there 220 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: is a picture if you want to see this on 221 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: Asia Pacific Report dot m Z. There's a pretty good 222 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:23,840 Speaker 1: picture of a truck bed that has exactly what Knell 223 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: is describing there to you. You can look at it 224 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: and it's it's pretty intense. It just looks like a 225 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: bunch of maybe maybe bags that are wrapped in plastic 226 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: wrap with like black bags. Maybe I think, I can't 227 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: quite tell. So it's interesting because we see a lot 228 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: of human ingenuity, some real mcgivernus when it comes to 229 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: the various methods of elicited ly smuggling drugs or animals 230 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: or animal parts or people into and out of a 231 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 1: given country. Didn't episod out of this with Scott Benjamin 232 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: for car stuff years back, but it's still still holds 233 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: up and you can see some crazy things here. This 234 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: this story doesn't feel like it's over with though, because 235 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,679 Speaker 1: to be absolutely clear and make sure we emphasize this, 236 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: authorities currently suspect the plane was overloaded with cocaine, which 237 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: caused the crash. And when there are drug smugglers using aircraft, 238 00:14:25,000 --> 00:14:28,040 Speaker 1: they're typically gonna unless they're the CIA, they're typically going 239 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 1: to use very small aircraft. They're gonna fly under radar. Uh. 240 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: They will try to get the most bang for their 241 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: buck because it's such a risky trip not so much 242 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: to get stuff out of a country that manufactures it, 243 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: but to get it to the destination country, which typically 244 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 1: is going to have more in terms of border security. 245 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: So the they say they speculate the way that the 246 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 1: cocaine may have overloaded the plane made it difficult to 247 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: take off. But that also again, if that is true, 248 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: that means that there's a lot of cocaine that was 249 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: not found. So in my mind, this is still an 250 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: ongoing investigation. That's right. And and also I mean, if 251 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: you think about how cocaine is sold and distributed, this 252 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: is pure cocaine. Likely, so the amount of pure cocaine 253 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: and one of those kilograms that would be divvied up 254 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: into sellable quantities, you know, and deluded this ship meant 255 00:15:22,480 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: could conceivably UM supply you know, hundreds and hundreds and 256 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: hundreds of of of different dealers UM. So they speculate 257 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: the Australian Border Force UH that this was a significant 258 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: disruption to UM the drug supply on Australia's eastern seaboard. 259 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: This millions of dollars and this is not you know, 260 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: cartels are not like corporations in terms of human resources. 261 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 1: I think it's pretty safe to say someone is going 262 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: to literally lose their head over this. Uh yeah, yeah. 263 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: And here's something else I want to bring up, you guys. 264 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: So this one instance where drugs have been found on 265 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: this island, Papua New Guinea. It's not the only time, 266 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: especially if you look at the other South Pacific islands 267 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: like Venua to Tonga um New Caledonia, there are drugs 268 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: that are literally being washed up like Kilo's bricks of 269 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: cocaine being washed up on the shores there. You remember that, 270 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: did we do an episode about cocaine island Island? So 271 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: here's what authorities supposedly no, at least the ones in Australia. 272 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 1: Cocaine is loaded up onto sailboats, usually in Latin America. 273 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: The Guardian here cites Bogata as one of the places, 274 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: and then it is taken via sailboat to Australia, to 275 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: a couple of ports cities in Australia, and the way 276 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,000 Speaker 1: you travel to get there you go right past the 277 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: South Pacific islands. So the theory here is that, well 278 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: it's not even a theory. It's known by people who 279 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 1: live on the islands and authorities there that there are 280 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: constantly ships that get scuttled because they'll hit a coral 281 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: reef or something in that area. Than just drugs are 282 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: floating everywhere and they're landing on your beaches, and it's 283 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,240 Speaker 1: wreaking havoc apparently on the local population there. Because just 284 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 1: these drugs end up in the South Pacific Islands and 285 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: then there is crime associated afterwards, like criminals coming through there. 286 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,719 Speaker 1: It's just a kind of a tense and scary situation. 287 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 1: Consider also the massive uh inequality and the economic straits 288 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: that a lot of those countries are going through. Uh 289 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: This this kind of stuff can be enormously disruptive. Now, 290 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: on this show, we're we've made a pretty clear stance 291 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: on never moralizing to people about drugs, but when it 292 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: when it comes to this kind of crime, it's safe 293 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 1: to say there's always more to the story. There's often 294 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: stuff they don't want you to know. Yes, of course, 295 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: the syndicate it sounds like someone in Italy is having 296 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 1: a very bad, very bad couple of weeks right now. 297 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: But also you know, there's there are things some of 298 00:18:06,720 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 1: the authorities don't want you to know, not necessarily and 299 00:18:09,680 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 1: in terms of corruption or something like that, but also 300 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: in terms of detection. What tools do they use to 301 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: find these planes to find these boats? And how I 302 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: don't know. It's almost like it's almost like how in 303 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: auto racing team that's building a race car tries to 304 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 1: find every loophole they can to avoid the regulations that 305 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: are updated every single race, for every single year, I 306 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: should say. And we're in a similar situation with authorities 307 00:18:38,840 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: and smugglers. Honestly, you can see technological trends in this 308 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: competition and they're usually uh, they're usually lead or pioneered 309 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: by the smugglers. Necessity, it turns out as the mother 310 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:56,040 Speaker 1: of invention once again. Will update as this story develops, 311 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: and we promise, well, we can't promise. We'll tell you 312 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,640 Speaker 1: if we run into h krams of cocaine. But oh no, guys, 313 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: what do you think Maybe we stick with smuggling as 314 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: a topic, uh, and explore something I don't know what, 315 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: what'd you say, related but different? After we get back 316 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: from the break, I think that's a smashing idea and 317 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 1: we're back continuing with our strange news episode for today, 318 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:30,880 Speaker 1: um and continuing with the theme of drug smuggling, only uh, 319 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 1: We're gonna start this one off on a little bit 320 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: of a lighter note and then take it a little heavier. Um. 321 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: But the the actual story that I found, um that's 322 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: gonna lead to some other conversation was drug smuggling cat 323 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: escapes high security Sri Lankan prison. Um. And this is 324 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 1: a real story. Uh. So there's two parts to this story. 325 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:57,400 Speaker 1: The first part is that authorities in Sri Lanka at 326 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: this super max security prison wally caught a prison they 327 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: detained the south. The article puts it, uh, this cat 328 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: who was trying to basically sneak in um with two 329 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: grams of heroin and two simcards like for cell phones 330 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: and a memory chip that was in this little plastic 331 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:23,399 Speaker 1: bag tied around cat's collar. Um. And this is part 332 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: of a larger issue at this prison of of smuggling 333 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,040 Speaker 1: in drugs for the inmates who are members of particular 334 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: gang to sell to other inmates, and also smuggling in 335 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: cell phones. We know this is a thing here in 336 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,879 Speaker 1: the States as well. But this cat was basically trained 337 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: uh to to do this, to do these kind of 338 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 1: maneuvers um. And it is suspected that it is connected 339 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: to a particular underworld crime boss by the name of 340 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: Angda Loca, also known for using an eagle to smuggle 341 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: drugs in Colombo, in a suburban area of columb Bug 342 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 1: they're in Sri Lanka. Uh this Uh, this crime boss 343 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,360 Speaker 1: actually died while on the run from the authorities earlier 344 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: last month in July. And this is another story entirely. 345 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: But um. Also very recently, a man and a woman 346 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: who were thirty and nineteen respectively, were arrested this past 347 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 1: Sunday for illegally cremating this crime boss's remains um and 348 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: also forging identity documents. And this is according to the 349 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 1: New Indian Express. So okay, authorities at the prison detained 350 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: said smuggling cat and then uh, like a true maverick 351 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: of of animal, you know, drug smuggling, this cat gives 352 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,440 Speaker 1: them the slip, um, I imagine no longer carrying the 353 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,840 Speaker 1: drugs that those were probably confiscated at this point. But yeah, 354 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,439 Speaker 1: the cat is on the loose and the authorities at 355 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: this prison still don't know where the cat is. And 356 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,159 Speaker 1: the article here makes a really good fun point about 357 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:07,600 Speaker 1: how there's no um legislation governing the idea of animal 358 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: arrest in Sri Lanka. But rest assured that authorities are 359 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,399 Speaker 1: gonna have some things to talk to that cat about. 360 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: Which is the craziest thing I've said all week? What 361 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 1: do you guys think? Who who comes off looking the 362 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: worst here? Is it the authorities for losing the cat, 363 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 1: the drug smugglers for using a cat to is it? 364 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: Is it clever? Is it absolutely diabolical? Where where are 365 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: we at here? Well, I would say, first thing, good 366 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: on the smuggler or the cat trainer for keeping the 367 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,640 Speaker 1: drugs and other paraphernalia on the exterior of the cat 368 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 1: and not attempting to like smuggle it inside the cat. Yeah, 369 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,640 Speaker 1: it's a good silver lining there, mat I like that. 370 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: We We've done episodes on on Ridiculous History about crazy 371 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,959 Speaker 1: animal spies, um and there was definitely a cat at 372 00:22:57,960 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: one point that had like a listening device surgically implanted 373 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,160 Speaker 1: in the cab and remember that one. Yeah, I first 374 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 1: ran into it and stuff they don't want you to 375 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: know with animal spies you're referring to I believe Project 376 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 1: Acoustic Kitty, which is one of the Central Intelligence agencies 377 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:23,000 Speaker 1: attempts to weaponize animals or give them a sort of function. 378 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: It's it's the tales oldest time you know, we have 379 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 1: seen stories alleging animals acting on behalf of criminals or 380 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: acting on behalf. Actually it's intelligence agencies. That's where we 381 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: see the main accusations, and sometimes the people reporting those 382 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,399 Speaker 1: look kind of foolish. You know. You guys remember we 383 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: did an episode a while back on allegations of animal 384 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 1: spies that were there was an incredible spike of these 385 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: in the Middle East, right, with all sorts of animals. 386 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: Typically an Arab country would allege that Israel was creating 387 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 1: animal spies, and sometimes they were just animals that have 388 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,399 Speaker 1: been tagged by a biologist who was trying to track 389 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: an endangered population or migratory population. However, I want to 390 00:24:10,119 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: go back to your your thing. I don't know if 391 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 1: there's someone who looks foolish, because this is a real thing. 392 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: The cat doesn't look foolish. The cat looks like a boss. 393 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,159 Speaker 1: And the cats and and the thing about and go 394 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: to Loca that's the alias, right, get this and go 395 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: to Locas thirty five. When he died, he was poisoned. 396 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: That's why they burned the body. If you can, if 397 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: you see that New Indian Express article you mentioned, um 398 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: he was poisoned in early July. So maybe this story 399 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: when did the cat get caught again? Just a couple 400 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: of days ago? Oh so maybe maybe the cat then 401 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,239 Speaker 1: is It's time for a young up and comer in 402 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: the in the criminal organization to try some new techniques. Right, 403 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: let's get the drugs out of people's butts and onto 404 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: the collars of cats. Uh, I'm sorry, No, the cat 405 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 1: escaped just a couple of days ago. They actually caught 406 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: the cat. I mean, it couldn't have been very long 407 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: from when they caught it to win an escape it. 408 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: What does it say here? It was detained last week 409 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:19,720 Speaker 1: and we're recording this August three? Was was weird? Here 410 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 1: is being a lover of animals, I wanted to I 411 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: wanted to see if we could get some pictures of 412 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: this foiled feline criminal mastermind. And I found them and 413 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 1: immediately had like, I don't know, the closest I've had 414 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:40,600 Speaker 1: to a feeling. Uh in this poor cat looks not 415 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: only as though he or she knows that they've been caught, 416 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: but looks like they know they are facing criminal time. 417 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, hard time. Yeah, they haven't heard about 418 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:56,399 Speaker 1: the Sri Lankan lack of animal crime laws, and it 419 00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 1: says here and one I'm looking at that the picture 420 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: was taken on August first, Um, so that that's just 421 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: a couple of days ago. Um So yeah, I think 422 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 1: this one is ultimately a kind of a light sort 423 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:12,960 Speaker 1: of cautionary tale. I mean, first of all, here's my 424 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: thing about cats. They always say like hurting cats because 425 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:18,679 Speaker 1: cats are notoriously like, they do their own thing, and 426 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: they're kind of hard to control. So it takes a 427 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: lot of training to get cats to do anything other 428 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: than what that cat wants to do. And I wonder 429 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: if maybe this cat just wasn't trained particularly well and 430 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: that's how it got caught or what. But ant the 431 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: same time, for it to have like escaped, it's pretty impressive. 432 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,639 Speaker 1: And you're right, then the cat comes out looking like 433 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: a champ in this story. But here's the thing, um. 434 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: Animals being caught up in the drug trade is absolutely 435 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:47,920 Speaker 1: a thing. UM, whether it's exotic animals that are being 436 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: traded in the same way that you know drugs, are 437 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:55,119 Speaker 1: a lot of the cartels that move drugs also move 438 00:26:55,760 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: um illegal uh you know, endangered species or exotic species 439 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,119 Speaker 1: that are not legal to to buy and sell UM. 440 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: In the same way that they move large quantities of drugs. 441 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: H not to mention, there's a there's this really heartbreaking 442 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: article UM in Reuters called Exotic Animals Trapped in net 443 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: of Drug Trade that talks about everything from um Boa 444 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: constrictors having UM, you know, condoms full of cocaine surgically 445 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: implanted in them UM and shipped to shipments of let's say, 446 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: poisonous venomous snakes UM being stuffed with like, you know, 447 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: parcels of drugs, and then the crates are labeled venomous 448 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: snakes do not handle in an attempt to get the 449 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,879 Speaker 1: customs to kind of like overlook that one or not 450 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,080 Speaker 1: not mess with it. UM. And then things like turtle 451 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,320 Speaker 1: skin very popular for making boots and other, you know, 452 00:27:50,040 --> 00:27:54,719 Speaker 1: clothing items that drug cartel bosses are quite fond of. 453 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:56,879 Speaker 1: I don't know that seems like, how could that be 454 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,639 Speaker 1: that big of an issue, but it appears to be. 455 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 1: In two thousand seven, there was a sting conducted by 456 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 1: the US Fish and Wildlife Service UM where undercover agents 457 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,600 Speaker 1: spent three years getting inside of this ring that was 458 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: smuggling endangered sea turtle skins from southern Mexico into the 459 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 1: United States UM. And there's a trail of of drugs 460 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 1: on both sides of the border UM that was uncovered 461 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 1: during this investigation as well. UM, you also have this 462 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 1: one's kind of creative actually, I mean they all are, 463 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: but they're just also super inhumane. UM. For example, there's 464 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: something called liquid cocaine, which I was unaware of, UM, 465 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: and it's just like it sounds liquid cocaine. It's apparently 466 00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: very vaguely yellowish and hue, and they smugglers will put 467 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: bags of the stuff mixed in with plastic bags full 468 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: of tropical fish, so very very difficult to detect that 469 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: because it like it almost appears completely transparent if you 470 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: look through it. UM. So the the story I mentioned 471 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: earlier about the Boa constrictors, it was three hundred and 472 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:07,400 Speaker 1: twelve Boa constrictors UH that were found at Miami's International 473 00:29:07,400 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: Airport and Night's any three UM containing UH condoms full 474 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,280 Speaker 1: of cocaine weighing eighty pounds or thirty six ms, and 475 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: all of those snakes ended up getting killed. Not to 476 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: mention things like zoos, you know, having white tigers as pets, 477 00:29:23,880 --> 00:29:26,520 Speaker 1: are having you know, any other kind of creature that 478 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 1: that really probably is not meant to be kept in captivity. Uh, 479 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: it's another big weird flex that you know drug lords 480 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: like to do. It's also a I think, a study 481 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:41,840 Speaker 1: in how quickly the cost benefit analysis or the risk 482 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 1: analysis can go awry, because we have to remember, for 483 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: every one of these in addictions, for every one of 484 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: these arrest or discoveries or recoveries of drugs, there's usually 485 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 1: going to be a high likelihood that this is an 486 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: iteration of an earlier operation that was conducted successfully, meaning 487 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:09,360 Speaker 1: that uh, coke snakes had crossed over a border or 488 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: two before. That's why, that's why they were really willing 489 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: to gamble using these snakes. And consider also that the 490 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: snakes can fetch their own price without being drug stuffed, right, 491 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: without being hot pocketed full of narcotics. They can fetch 492 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: their own price on the foreign animal market, which is 493 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 1: also booming and also often illegal. But what's interesting here, 494 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 1: I think about the two stories is that we see 495 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: a common theme, like some sort of cartel icarus. These 496 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,719 Speaker 1: dealers and these smugglers flew too close to the supply 497 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:48,440 Speaker 1: side sun they lost the plane, probably because they overloaded 498 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: it with coke, and then they lost the snakes, and 499 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: they lost several other animals as well to your example, 500 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,840 Speaker 1: because they overloaded them. You know. It sounds like maybe, 501 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: I don't know, would you think if you were in 502 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: charge of a drug cartel, fellow listeners, wouldn't you want 503 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: a veterinarian on hand to tell you how much cocaine 504 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: can or can't go into a snake? You would think 505 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:17,960 Speaker 1: it would. Yeah, yeah. Um. You also you think you'd 506 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: have like some sort of logistics operative to help you, 507 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: you know, make sure you didn't overload your cessna with 508 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: cocaine either. Um. So yeah, that's the that's the theme 509 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 1: I'm talking about totally. Ben, You're you're, you're, you're right on. Um, well, 510 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 1: I guess that's that one. How about we take a 511 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: quick break and then talk about some some other weird 512 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: not necessarily smuggling, but some weird stuff happening in the mail, 513 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: and we're back more and more. This is seeming like 514 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 1: a shipping and posting episode, but this is something that 515 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:01,720 Speaker 1: we wanted to bring to your attention. If you haven't 516 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: heard it yet, it did break in the mainstream recently. 517 00:32:05,160 --> 00:32:10,760 Speaker 1: A while back, people in the United States started receiving 518 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: strange packages. This is not in itself extraordinary. Mail gets 519 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: misdirected all the time. Right, It's if you think about it, 520 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: it's odd that you get the stuff you order as 521 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:25,239 Speaker 1: consistently as you do. I hope I don't think us 522 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 1: knock on wood, someone saved the post office. But here's 523 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:34,040 Speaker 1: what makes this case different. People started getting weird unsolicited 524 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 1: packages that purported to be from China. From the country 525 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 1: of China. These packages appeared to contain seeds. They were mysterious. 526 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: Some people who received these had ordered other seeds, they 527 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 1: were gardeners, they were aspiring you know, farmers, urban farmers, 528 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: or so on. But other people were just checking the 529 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: mail and finding a bizarre package. This has happened now 530 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: in all fifties states at some point. It's it's still 531 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: happening today. Uh. You know, we have early stories where 532 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 1: people started reporting this on Facebook, and then they started 533 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: seeing friends of friends of friends sharing the story and saying, hey, 534 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:17,920 Speaker 1: I thought I was the only one getting these way 535 00:33:17,960 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: for it bad seeds. Uh so no one, no one 536 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: knew what this was. Right, And now as cenophobia and 537 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: uh nationalism are at a rise here in the US, 538 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:33,640 Speaker 1: people of course started thinking, am I part of a 539 00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:37,920 Speaker 1: large scale attack? You know, on the heartland of America. 540 00:33:38,440 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: Are these invasive species? Are these literally poisoned or bad 541 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: seeds that are meant to you know, reek environmental havoc 542 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:51,280 Speaker 1: of some sort. This story in particular is interesting to 543 00:33:51,320 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: me because, first off, we can confirm it's happened over 544 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,360 Speaker 1: a short period of time to many, many people in 545 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 1: the US. And also because we are luckily today fortunate 546 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: I guess I would say fortunate by some great mysterious coincidence. 547 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:12,600 Speaker 1: One of us has personal experience with this phenomenon. What yes, 548 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: I do. Actually, so, okay, everyone, we're in quarantine. We 549 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:20,799 Speaker 1: have been for a while, or like semi quarantine, right, 550 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: so all of us have been receiving I'm gonna assume 551 00:34:24,520 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: more packages than normal, right, I think we've kind of 552 00:34:27,680 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: become accustomed to that at this point. Well, usually you 553 00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: get a package at your front door, if you're like 554 00:34:35,200 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 1: me and you you know you live in a house. Sometimes, 555 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 1: if the package is small enough, they just stuff it 556 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,279 Speaker 1: in your mail box or wherever your mail slot is. 557 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:46,399 Speaker 1: They give it to you that way. Well, the other 558 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: day I went out to check the mail and there 559 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: was this little gray looking packet in there that had 560 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:58,839 Speaker 1: a lot of Chinese characters on it. Um. I wasn't 561 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: sure what it was, and something clicked in my mind 562 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 1: and I remembered reading something on Reddit about mysterious packages 563 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:12,120 Speaker 1: of seeds showing up at people's houses. Then I started 564 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:15,160 Speaker 1: freak out a little bit. Took it to my wife, 565 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: asked her about it, and she said, oh, no, no, 566 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:24,399 Speaker 1: I ordered those. I said, what wait wait wait wait, 567 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:30,799 Speaker 1: and they do. It says jewelry on the packet, like 568 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:34,120 Speaker 1: on the actual shipping thing, it says jewelry. So whoever 569 00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 1: is shipping these things also shipped my wife these. And 570 00:35:38,080 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 1: she says she ordered wild flowers, uh from some from 571 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,719 Speaker 1: somewhere on Amazon or something, and then they ended up 572 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:50,239 Speaker 1: coming from China in this weird package. It was just 573 00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:54,160 Speaker 1: this odd scenario. So I don't know if those are 574 00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: actually the wildflower seeds that Diana ordered or these came separately, 575 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: and there's no way for us to confirm it. Right now, 576 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,680 Speaker 1: did you open you could grow them? Get kind of 577 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: a little shop, a horror situation. I'll feed your monster plant. 578 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: I'm afraid to grow them because it could be an 579 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 1: invasive species and we'd get them all over our lawn 580 00:36:15,160 --> 00:36:17,480 Speaker 1: and then all of a sudden, this whole area has 581 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: just got whatever that is, Well, what what's the what's 582 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: the kind of consensus about what's going on with us 583 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: in the first place? Yeah, there is an answer. I 584 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:32,359 Speaker 1: wanted to bring this up and have at least some 585 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: sort of solution for us. So just very recently, as 586 00:36:37,719 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 1: we're going into record, the U. S. D A Has 587 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: arrived at an answer and it helped allay some of 588 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: the fears that people were understandably laboring under. They have 589 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: so far identified fourteen different species of seeds, and none 590 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:56,120 Speaker 1: of them are too crazy. There's mint, sage, roseberry, mustard, cabbage. 591 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,160 Speaker 1: One would be morning glory that that might be of 592 00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:02,279 Speaker 1: interest any and who spread the anarchist cookbook. And you 593 00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: know why, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna say it 594 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:07,680 Speaker 1: if you don't know or a family show, but I 595 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:11,400 Speaker 1: don't want to condone it. But there is a reason. 596 00:37:11,719 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: It is not for altruism that these seeds maybe being sent. 597 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 1: This may be part of a pretty well known and 598 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: fairly successful online scam that Matt you may have remembered 599 00:37:22,719 --> 00:37:26,719 Speaker 1: we discussed in previous episode. It's the concept of brushing 600 00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:30,200 Speaker 1: that was gonna ask about that that was where you 601 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,960 Speaker 1: get sent stuff you didn't order essentially, or it could 602 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 1: even just be like a box of trash or like 603 00:37:35,719 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: grumbled papers, and the and the purposes to inflate vendors 604 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 1: numbers for their sales. I think is that the deal 605 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 1: with fakes, right, Yeah, they can prove that they shipped it, 606 00:37:47,160 --> 00:37:50,840 Speaker 1: and then they can, uh, these shippers, these unethical shippers 607 00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:53,480 Speaker 1: or vendors can go in and say, not only do 608 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:55,880 Speaker 1: we ship you know, X amount of stuff, or not 609 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 1: only has our shipping increased by x percentage, but also 610 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:04,719 Speaker 1: look at our amazing reviews. Everyone loves this quote unquote jewelry, right, 611 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: and everybody actually wanted these uh mustard seeds. It's it's 612 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,280 Speaker 1: strange because we saw people, you know again rightly worried, 613 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:18,799 Speaker 1: especially given all the geopolitical tension between the two superpowers. Now, 614 00:38:19,239 --> 00:38:22,920 Speaker 1: they were rightly worried that something nefarious might be afoot. 615 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,920 Speaker 1: And it is. But it's like small time crime. No 616 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 1: one's trying to start a new you know, hyper aggressive 617 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: kud zoo problem or something. Kud Zoo, by the way, 618 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 1: would be one of the most famous invasive species in 619 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,839 Speaker 1: the US from China. And as much as I hate 620 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:43,320 Speaker 1: to bust the myth. It's uh, it's not as invasive 621 00:38:43,520 --> 00:38:47,000 Speaker 1: or it's not as successful as people think. Sure as 622 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,360 Speaker 1: annoying though, if you've got too much of it on 623 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: your property, how will you sip a JEWELU with your 624 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:59,800 Speaker 1: back your view so obscured. Yes, So hopefully this can 625 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:04,280 Speaker 1: function as a way to UH, to again reassure some people. 626 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:08,239 Speaker 1: We should say that botanist and folks at the U. 627 00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:12,880 Speaker 1: S d A always recommend UH in general, not just 628 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:16,400 Speaker 1: getting random seeds in the mail and implanting them. But 629 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:19,840 Speaker 1: I I am honestly, I get a lot of weird 630 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:25,000 Speaker 1: international correspondence, and I am just I am sad. Guys. Well, 631 00:39:25,880 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: I know I should feel sad that I I haven't 632 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,919 Speaker 1: received any mysterious mail. Don't you guys like mysterious mail? 633 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,560 Speaker 1: You know, I'm suspicious of just about any mail that 634 00:39:35,640 --> 00:39:38,919 Speaker 1: I get these days, just because it's like, WHOA still 635 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 1: sending stuff in the mail? Okay? And I don't want 636 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:43,120 Speaker 1: to sound like I'm nagging the post office. I know 637 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: the post office is a very very important service, and 638 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: it's going to be even more important during this election 639 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: that's coming up, when we really need to depend on 640 00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:53,960 Speaker 1: them for delivering a lot of these mail in ballots. Uh. 641 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: But yeah, Like you know, every time I pulled something 642 00:39:56,640 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: out of my mailbox and I instantly regard it with 643 00:39:58,520 --> 00:40:02,399 Speaker 1: suspicion because it's usually a bill that I'm getting somewhere else, 644 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,080 Speaker 1: like online, or it's some kind of spam I don't know. 645 00:40:05,520 --> 00:40:10,399 Speaker 1: Mail is one thing, But the amount of callers who 646 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:13,920 Speaker 1: have been leaving messages on my phone, who have been 647 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: just calling my number a weird at times, sometimes asking 648 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,480 Speaker 1: for personal information, even if it seems legit, or it 649 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 1: may very well be legitimate. I am so just against 650 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:31,239 Speaker 1: giving any personal information over the phone. Never called me, 651 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: just never never called me. You know, I would pay 652 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: a phone carrier or an extra fifteen to twenty dollars 653 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,320 Speaker 1: even a month to pretend that my phone was just 654 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,840 Speaker 1: always out of a service range of some sort, and 655 00:40:45,920 --> 00:40:49,000 Speaker 1: then to leave a message like we can. I know 656 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,239 Speaker 1: not everybody agrees, but it's twenty you can text people. Uh, 657 00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:56,360 Speaker 1: you know, I feel what you're saying. Man, Have you 658 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,880 Speaker 1: guys ever got the call? For a while, people are 659 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:03,000 Speaker 1: getting random cold calls in Mandarin. I was receiving and 660 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:05,440 Speaker 1: Cantonese as well. I was receiving some of those. I 661 00:41:05,520 --> 00:41:08,080 Speaker 1: also got some calls. I'm sure we've all experienced this 662 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,680 Speaker 1: listening today, where you get a call from an unrecognized 663 00:41:11,760 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: number and you get a you get a voicemail, and 664 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:20,120 Speaker 1: you check the voicemail and it's only part of clearly 665 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,520 Speaker 1: recorded message. So it picks up with like and refer 666 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 1: Jim d L Delta and blah blah blah uh please 667 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: call back at your earliest convenience seven eight chick. Like 668 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:36,800 Speaker 1: that's how it sounds, dude. I got one today. This 669 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:40,200 Speaker 1: is terrifying to me going today. And it was an 670 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:43,840 Speaker 1: actual person, it wasn't a recording, and he was asking 671 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:47,440 Speaker 1: for someone of a different name and saying that he 672 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: had papers something to serve this person that is not me, 673 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:55,160 Speaker 1: with some kind of papers, and there would be legal 674 00:41:55,239 --> 00:41:58,640 Speaker 1: action taken if I didn't do it. So I returned 675 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:03,880 Speaker 1: the call to say, hey, this is not that person 676 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,840 Speaker 1: whoever you're trying to reach, just so you know that 677 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:08,359 Speaker 1: you've got the wrong contact information. And I asked him 678 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:10,839 Speaker 1: what this whole thing was about and why, and he said, oh, well, 679 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:13,680 Speaker 1: I can't tell you that. I can't say anything about that. Said, okay, 680 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:16,320 Speaker 1: so there's some kind of legal matter or what is 681 00:42:16,360 --> 00:42:19,120 Speaker 1: this for? I I can't talk to you. It's fine. 682 00:42:19,160 --> 00:42:22,360 Speaker 1: We took the number off so you can't tell me 683 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:27,320 Speaker 1: what my number was associated with. No by sketchy yikes 684 00:42:27,880 --> 00:42:29,960 Speaker 1: and not not to mention that stuff has gotten even 685 00:42:30,239 --> 00:42:37,200 Speaker 1: worse during the pandemic because of basically praying on older folks, uh, 686 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:41,480 Speaker 1: and using things that are specifically pandemic related, um, you know, 687 00:42:41,640 --> 00:42:44,800 Speaker 1: about their name being on some list or or a 688 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,120 Speaker 1: medical information that they're trying to receive or whatever. It 689 00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:54,359 Speaker 1: is just really horrible, horrible abusive behavior. Remember when there 690 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:56,160 Speaker 1: was a brief period of time where this is a 691 00:42:56,200 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: big one, or you'd get a call from your own 692 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,239 Speaker 1: number and you're like, hey, wait a minute, is me 693 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 1: calling myself from the future to warn me? Uh? And 694 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:06,239 Speaker 1: then of course, you know, a handful of people would 695 00:43:06,239 --> 00:43:08,600 Speaker 1: pick up and that's when they start You and Alex say, oh, 696 00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,160 Speaker 1: the phone company and you've been hacked and we need 697 00:43:11,239 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: to verify your details, and so many people that just aren't. 698 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:18,440 Speaker 1: It's not not nothing to do with intelligence, it's just 699 00:43:18,600 --> 00:43:22,400 Speaker 1: kind of some people are just they're not used to that. 700 00:43:22,560 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 1: And then and they trust someone that has an authoritative tone, 701 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:27,800 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? I don't know. We just 702 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 1: have to be to your point, Matt. We have to 703 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:32,879 Speaker 1: exercise caution on the phone. You do not know who 704 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,120 Speaker 1: is on the other end of the line, and you 705 00:43:35,239 --> 00:43:38,160 Speaker 1: do not know how many ears are between you speaking 706 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: and that person hearing. It's the opposite of secure communication. 707 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:48,840 Speaker 1: Well here we are. Don't don't open, don't open strange seats. Please, 708 00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:53,800 Speaker 1: don't use your pets to smuggle drugs, don't overload, and 709 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:59,400 Speaker 1: code named Doc Holiday are superproducers. Your name is Alexis 710 00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:04,080 Speaker 1: code name dot Holiday Jackson. I think we've learned a 711 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:06,920 Speaker 1: lot today, but you know, I don't know. Did you 712 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:08,759 Speaker 1: guys run into this as well? Were you having a 713 00:44:08,800 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 1: hard time choosing just one story? Yeah, there was one 714 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:14,279 Speaker 1: about a Florida man. I don't know if you saw 715 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:17,239 Speaker 1: this one about a man in Florida that road on 716 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:21,040 Speaker 1: a on the front of a semi truck trailer for 717 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 1: quite a while there. That was an interesting one. Yeah, 718 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:25,840 Speaker 1: I had. I had another one that was about this 719 00:44:26,160 --> 00:44:28,239 Speaker 1: h I love a good Florida man, by the way, Matt. 720 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:33,400 Speaker 1: That was about this weird like unidentifiable dead creature that 721 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:36,839 Speaker 1: washed up on the shores of a beach in England. Um. 722 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,200 Speaker 1: But it wasn't much to it. Everyone thought it was. 723 00:44:39,360 --> 00:44:41,800 Speaker 1: It was described as like it looked like a horse 724 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:45,040 Speaker 1: that ate a donkey that ad a porpoise um, and 725 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,919 Speaker 1: it smelled really bad and it had fins, but also 726 00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: things that looked like hoofs. But it turns out it 727 00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:54,120 Speaker 1: was it was. It was a porpoise, horribly, horribly decomposed 728 00:44:54,239 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 1: and rotting, stinky porpoise. Carcass porpoise, carcus. I don't know 729 00:45:00,000 --> 00:45:01,759 Speaker 1: where would have gone with that conversation though, So I'm 730 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:04,719 Speaker 1: glad decided to pivot to drug drug smuggling cat, but 731 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:06,640 Speaker 1: I didn't want to keep it in the animal kingdom. 732 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,680 Speaker 1: Here we go. I think your reverse it and make 733 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:12,200 Speaker 1: it carcass Porpoise. It feels like a really good band 734 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,759 Speaker 1: to me, Carcass Porpoise. I like it. There was the 735 00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:19,000 Speaker 1: one my my second place contender. Maybe we can make 736 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:22,120 Speaker 1: this a segment. The stories we didn't quite get to. Uh, 737 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:25,359 Speaker 1: one that I thought was really interesting, pertaining to an 738 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:28,440 Speaker 1: earlier conversation we've had on this show, is the idea 739 00:45:28,480 --> 00:45:31,600 Speaker 1: of zombie cicadas. I may have mentioned this. Uh, there's 740 00:45:31,640 --> 00:45:36,160 Speaker 1: a mind controlling fungus that's out loose in the US 741 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:40,239 Speaker 1: right now. Uh, specifically in West Virginia. It's this parasitic 742 00:45:40,320 --> 00:45:46,279 Speaker 1: fungus called massospora, and it infects cicadas and then it 743 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:50,600 Speaker 1: controls their brain and it also, uh it also forces 744 00:45:50,719 --> 00:45:55,400 Speaker 1: their genitalia to decay and get replaced by fungus, and 745 00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:58,680 Speaker 1: then it makes it very amorous. So it goes out 746 00:45:59,040 --> 00:46:02,240 Speaker 1: under the perch like appearing to breed with other insects. 747 00:46:02,640 --> 00:46:07,560 Speaker 1: But really instead of bumping uglies, is just like infecting 748 00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:12,000 Speaker 1: them with fungus. Evolution is terrifying us, no question about it, sir. 749 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:16,280 Speaker 1: And I gotta say I I resent the expression bumping uglies. 750 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:22,160 Speaker 1: The human anatomy is beautiful, I mean some parts of it. Yeah, 751 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:27,000 Speaker 1: but you know, alright, alright, Well that's our show, folks, 752 00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:29,560 Speaker 1: think you as always so much for tuning in. We 753 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:32,400 Speaker 1: hope that you enjoyed this week's strange news, and we 754 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:35,399 Speaker 1: hope that you have stories of your own. We would 755 00:46:35,480 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 1: love to hear from you. You can find us on Facebook, 756 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:39,880 Speaker 1: you can find us on Instagram, you can find us 757 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:42,000 Speaker 1: on Twitter. We like to recommend here's where it gets 758 00:46:42,080 --> 00:46:46,240 Speaker 1: crazy for the Facebook inclined that is uh the number 759 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:51,040 Speaker 1: one community page and all of Facebook, a very prestigious 760 00:46:51,040 --> 00:46:56,399 Speaker 1: award given by us. Yeah, it's gonna win it every 761 00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,280 Speaker 1: year running. I guarantee. Uh. Some of the best folks 762 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:02,239 Speaker 1: on the Internet occupying this group. Um, so check it out. 763 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:04,399 Speaker 1: You gotta do is name me and Matt and Ben 764 00:47:04,520 --> 00:47:06,880 Speaker 1: are one of us or three of us? Are Alexis 765 00:47:07,440 --> 00:47:11,759 Speaker 1: nickname or no Paul super producer just to joke something 766 00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:13,319 Speaker 1: to let us know that you're not a Russian body. 767 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:14,879 Speaker 1: They actually know what the show is. If you don't 768 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:16,880 Speaker 1: want to do that, you can find us as individuals 769 00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:19,560 Speaker 1: on social media. I am on Instagram at how Now 770 00:47:19,719 --> 00:47:25,000 Speaker 1: Noel Brown. I am hidden this time. On Instagram, You'll 771 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:30,400 Speaker 1: never find me, whereas I am hopefully easy to find online. 772 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:32,840 Speaker 1: At least you can find me on Twitter, where I 773 00:47:32,920 --> 00:47:37,040 Speaker 1: am at Ben Bolan hs W and you can find 774 00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:42,080 Speaker 1: me building survival Kids. Currently on Instagram at Ben Bolan. 775 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,520 Speaker 1: Not the most creative name, but I was trying to 776 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,360 Speaker 1: save the creativity for the post. What do I do 777 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:49,160 Speaker 1: If I want to talk to you guys but I 778 00:47:49,280 --> 00:47:52,720 Speaker 1: hate social media? You're asking, well, we have an answer 779 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:55,319 Speaker 1: for you, especially if you were thinking come on man. 780 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,279 Speaker 1: Phone calls are great. More people should use the phone 781 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 1: more often. Yes, just pick up the horn and dial 782 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:05,480 Speaker 1: one H three three S T d W y t K. 783 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:10,080 Speaker 1: You will here. Ben tell you that stuff is getting crazy, 784 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:12,719 Speaker 1: and that's when you'll know to leave your message. It 785 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:14,920 Speaker 1: can be up to three minutes. If you can't get 786 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:17,839 Speaker 1: it in that time, just call back. We'll we'll see 787 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:20,880 Speaker 1: him pop up that way. Let us know anything you 788 00:48:20,920 --> 00:48:23,239 Speaker 1: want to tell us. We we accept, we will listen. 789 00:48:23,560 --> 00:48:25,440 Speaker 1: If you don't want to do that, you can always 790 00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,239 Speaker 1: send us a good old fashioned email. We are conspiracy 791 00:48:28,280 --> 00:48:48,879 Speaker 1: at i heeart radio dot com. Stuff they don't want 792 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:51,240 Speaker 1: you to know is a production of I heart Radio. 793 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:53,800 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i 794 00:48:53,920 --> 00:48:56,759 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 795 00:48:56,840 --> 00:48:57,640 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.