Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
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Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/special ... ice-set-up
Anyone remember this case ? Quite a media event from the sound of it. And she's still in prison.
Superstar 'Yuyee' is serving 15 years for importing a tiny quantity of drugs, but her Spanish celebrity husband says she is the victim of a nefarious revenge plot.
The case was on the front page of all local newspapers last year: superstar Chachchaya “Yuyee” Cuesta Ramos sentenced to 15 years for smuggling 251 milligrammes of cocaine.
It was the result, her family says, of an ordeal that involved a leopard rescue, encounters with powerful officials and a trumped-up drugs charge.
THE RESCUE
Mr Ramos and Yuyee, 42, have been involved in wildlife rescue efforts for more than a decade and have been volunteers at the Thai Animal Guardians Association (AGA) since 2002. In that time, the couple rescued more than 1,000 animals and released them into the wild.
When they received a phone call in May 2012 about a juvenile leopard being held at a remote house, they were able to rescue it and take it to authorities at Dusit Zoo a few days later.
The leopards are normally sent to Europe in suitcases, where they can fetch a price of 10,000 euros (about 380,000 baht). A rare black leopard, or one with a perfect pattern, can fetch up to five times that. The value of the four to five-month-old Indochinese leopard Mr Ramos and Yuyee rescued was estimated at about half a million baht.
“If we had known that leopard was going to somebody powerful, we wouldn’t have gone,” said Mr Ramos, who is a veterinarian and a TV host for the Discovery Channel.
A week after the rescue, Mr Ramos said, two uniformed policemen arrived at the couple’s house on a motorcycle and told them to prepare 400,000 baht. They gave no reason for demanding the cash.
But several weeks later, police raided their house, accusing the couple of possessing wild animals. Yuyee explained that the 50 animals had been rescued and were being held in “quarantine” prior to release into national parks. Officers confiscated four snakes and an owl.
AGA secretary-general Roger Lohanan accompanied the police on the day of the incident in an attempt to explain to them that Yuyee was a volunteer, and that the animals were injured and could not yet be released. He said the organisation’s volunteers are usually exempt from the law, as they work together with forestry officials.
“But there was probably a complication on that day, such as the large media presence at the time,” he told Spectrum.
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Re: Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
I find this story disturbing. I don’t remember it but thanks for bringing it up.
My warped sense of reality finds Thailand very open and accepting when it comes to issue such as sexual-orientation but Medieval when it comes to issues involving self-harm/ victim-less crimes. When I lived in Bangkok, I heard rumors that Thaksin had permitted extra-judicial executions of drug-dealers/ users; and also that a redneck good-old boy 1%er wanted to take over Nana Plaza. I remember thinking no way… I was both naive and wrong. Today, both those gentleman have lost their fiefdoms by natural or un-natural causes. Funny that army unit that sold meth/yaba in Patpong is still there.
So this Chachchaya “Yuyee” Cuesta Ramos gets 15 yrs for 1.55-5 mgs of cocaine? That makes sense...NOT!
In 1999 Luis Garavito confessed to murdering 140 children and is serving 22 years. In 1983, Pedro López was found guilty of murdering 110 young girls in Ecuador alone and confessed to a further 240 murders. In 1998, he was released on $50 bail; whereabouts unknown.
I don’t condone or condemn drug use or any form of self-harm but how is it a crime if there is no evidence of endangerment to others? There are so many mind-boggling, maddening things in the “civilized” world! Give her a slap on the wrist or deport her to Spain, but 15 years? Something stinks in Thailand and it’s not the durian. Thai ties to the Thai army are better than political connections since the coup.
But still better than those poor bastards in Bali.
My warped sense of reality finds Thailand very open and accepting when it comes to issue such as sexual-orientation but Medieval when it comes to issues involving self-harm/ victim-less crimes. When I lived in Bangkok, I heard rumors that Thaksin had permitted extra-judicial executions of drug-dealers/ users; and also that a redneck good-old boy 1%er wanted to take over Nana Plaza. I remember thinking no way… I was both naive and wrong. Today, both those gentleman have lost their fiefdoms by natural or un-natural causes. Funny that army unit that sold meth/yaba in Patpong is still there.
So this Chachchaya “Yuyee” Cuesta Ramos gets 15 yrs for 1.55-5 mgs of cocaine? That makes sense...NOT!
In 1999 Luis Garavito confessed to murdering 140 children and is serving 22 years. In 1983, Pedro López was found guilty of murdering 110 young girls in Ecuador alone and confessed to a further 240 murders. In 1998, he was released on $50 bail; whereabouts unknown.
I don’t condone or condemn drug use or any form of self-harm but how is it a crime if there is no evidence of endangerment to others? There are so many mind-boggling, maddening things in the “civilized” world! Give her a slap on the wrist or deport her to Spain, but 15 years? Something stinks in Thailand and it’s not the durian. Thai ties to the Thai army are better than political connections since the coup.
But still better than those poor bastards in Bali.
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Re: Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
Okay the second part of the story is confusing. They've clearly made some enemies and didnt pay the 400,000 baht. They're being charged with processing wild animals illegally and the police are the heroes; etc.
Okay, so this transpired first and later they got her for possession of a couple of mgs of cocaine. Wish she'd have stayed away from Thailand if she knew there was bad blood there with the authorities.
I stand by my first post. Something stinks.
Okay, so this transpired first and later they got her for possession of a couple of mgs of cocaine. Wish she'd have stayed away from Thailand if she knew there was bad blood there with the authorities.
I stand by my first post. Something stinks.
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Re: Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
For anybody that's lived there, it's taken as a given.Therapist wrote:I stand by my first post. Something stinks.
Far prefer Cambodia myself.
Jesus loves you...Mexico is great, right?
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Re: Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
Do petitions have a place on forums ? Interesting smackdown by TV here. Would you do this on CEO ?
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/834 ... ree-yuyee/
Just wondering if they are particularly paranoid because it's Thailand or if this is standard forum practice.
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/834 ... ree-yuyee/
TV mod reply:Sign the Petition to Free Yuyee
Started by pkspeaker, 2015-06-21 07:58
Just read the article in today's Spectrum; this woman was framed with a didly amount of cocaine (2 grams) and given 15 years because she helps wildlife, she has been in prison for a year already, please do what you can to help.
Would Yuyee be classed as religious, political or governmental ? Officially she is just an ex-model who was arrested with 2 grams of coke.Posted 2015-06-21 08:15:35
5) You will not use Thaivisa as a platform to gather support to effect changes on religious, political, or governmental issues.
Closed
Just wondering if they are particularly paranoid because it's Thailand or if this is standard forum practice.
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Re: Wild cats, cocaine and claims of a police set-up
Discovery Channel adventurer calls for justice for his Thai wife
The husband of jailed Thai ex-supermodel Yuyee has called for justice and the release of his wife.
The hashtag started by Frank Cuesta is #freeyuyee and is trending around the world. There is also a campaign on Instagram calling for the release of the mother of four, Thai Rath reported.
The appeal court in Thailand has just confirmed her 15 year 3 month sentence after she was caught at Don Muang airport in 2012 with 0.251 (251 milligrams) of cocaine. She has also been ordered to pay a fine of 1.5 million baht.
Frank Cuesta is a vet and adventurer currently famous for the Discovery Channel show “Wild Frank”.
Many have said that the sentence for the Thai actress was overly harsh especially when compared to others caught with drugs.
Thai Rath/ Samui Times
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