We've been saying for years that the drug war is a waste but this story proves just how absurd the waste is. As the Mexican government admits that thousands of children go to bed hungry every day, it spent some $30 million dollars on more than a thousand "empty boxes with handles and antennae" attached that supposedly detected explosives, drugs and cash.
The boxes were sold to federal and state governments by Segtec (Seguridad e Inteligencia con Tecnología de Vanguardia) owned by businessman Hugo Fernandez, according to information released by the Mexican Institute for Access to Information. Gary Bolton, the British conman who managed to sell the boxes, made for around $3.00 each, for up to $23,000 each, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The British courts will reportedly determine property to expropriate to pay back those who fell for the hoax.
How is it possible that the Mexican security forces didn't even check the equipment before shelling out millions in public funds? Why weren't all the "GT200s" as the useless box is named, recalled immediately when word of the hoax came out?
Is it because the whole war on drugs is a hoax?
The boxes were sold to federal and state governments by Segtec (Seguridad e Inteligencia con Tecnología de Vanguardia) owned by businessman Hugo Fernandez, according to information released by the Mexican Institute for Access to Information. Gary Bolton, the British conman who managed to sell the boxes, made for around $3.00 each, for up to $23,000 each, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
The British courts will reportedly determine property to expropriate to pay back those who fell for the hoax.
How is it possible that the Mexican security forces didn't even check the equipment before shelling out millions in public funds? Why weren't all the "GT200s" as the useless box is named, recalled immediately when word of the hoax came out?
Is it because the whole war on drugs is a hoax?
Well, yes, the "War on Drugs" is and always has been a waste of time since Richard Nixon first began it. But, second, this sounds like the mordida was playing a very large part in the acquisition of these "smart" boxes.
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