Drug Dealers Using Hybrid Cars Now: Internal Battery Smuggling
Who says drug traffickers don’t care about the environment? Well that’s kind of a joke, and let me tell you why. Turns out, car batteries have become a popular place to store illegal drugs trying to cross the border and travel across the country. Consider how many batteries are in a hybrid car these days, and each of these batteries has multiple cells that can be filled with contraband. No, I am not going to reveal any secrets to the drug traffickers, they already know this trick, because they have been using it more frequently these days.
Of course, now the authorities are aware, and I suppose if you have a Toyota Prius, you could stop at the border while they check your batteries, or have the dogs come sniffing around. It’s amazing how incredibly innovative and creative these people are with their smuggling, can you imagine if they took that creativity and innovation and applied it to some new kind of business in some high-tech industry? Imagine how much money they could make and what an incredible return on investment they could have with all that cash they have already generated.
Of course, they are no longer just putting drugs inside batteries, they are driving these hybrid cars across the border with cash stuck in those dry battery cells, money they have made selling those drugs on this side of the border. Going back to my joke; Obviously, drug dealers care about hybrid cars and alternative energy, because it has made, well, so far, a nice, sneaky cover for moving their products and money. Those days are over because the Department of Homeland Security is on the scene keeping an eye on these things, and the Border Patrol also knows what’s going on.
Today, things have been tough in the real battery industry, and several of the Department of Energy’s large grants and loans have not paid off or produced the jobs expected from that economic stimulus. For example, A123 Systems Battery Company filed for bankruptcy, along with several others, and only two of the companies that received six of DOE’s very large grants were able to deliver on their promises, promises, or hiring obligations after accepting that money.
In fact, there was an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal on this topic published on March 31, 2012 titled; Mike Ramsey’s “Car Battery Start-Ups Fizzle” which is worth reading.
Maybe drug cartels can get into the hybrid car battery business and become legitimate, just kidding. They may make more money in the end and also continue to help the alternative energy and hybrid auto industry. Perhaps you yourself have a sense of humor and can see the irony in all of this. Please think about it.