I-SAN JUAN, ePuerto Rico - Abameli base-US babambe abantu abangama-21, abalithoba kubo bengabasebenzi be-American Airlines, abatyholwa ngokushushumbisa iisutikheyisi ezithwele i-cocaine kwiinqwelomoya ezisuka ePuerto Rico zisiya eUnited States, abasemagunyeni bathi ngoLwesibini.
Abatyholwa, abangama-20 kubo bavalelwe ePuerto Rico kunye nomnye eMiami, batyholwa iyelenqe lokusasaza ngaphezulu kwe-9,000 kg (19,800 yeekhilogram) zecocaine kwiinqwelomoya zeAmerican Airlines, ngokwesimangalo esikhutshwe liGqwetha lase-US. Indawo yase-US yeCaribbean.
Utyando lwalubandakanya i-US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), iSebe lePolisa lasePuerto Rico kunye ne-Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Kwabarhanelwa abangamashumi amabini anesithathu abakhankanywe kwityala, abangama-23 bavalelwa ngentseni ngoLwesibini, amagosa eDEA athi. Abarhanelwa ababini abaseleyo babefunwa eSan Juan.
"Ngalezi zibanjwa i-DEA ivala enye indlela yamawaka eekhilogram ze-cocaine ukufikelela e-United States okanye nayiphi na enye inxalenye yehlabathi esuka ePuerto Rico," i-DEA i-Agent Special eCharge Javier Pena kwingxelo.
Isityholo sityhola inkokeli yeringi yokurhweba, umqeshwa weAmerican Airlines uWilfredo Rodriguez-Rosado, ukusukela ngo-1999 waqesha kwaye waququzelela iqela labasebenzi benqwelomoya ukuba bathubelezise iisutikheyisi ezigcwele icocaine kwinqwelomoya yeAmerican Airlines isiya kwizixeko ezahlukeneyo kwilizwekazi laseMelika.
“ISISOBELO KUKHUSELEKO LESIZWE”
Abatshutshisi bathi amalungu eqela asebenze kunye ukuzalisa iisutikheyisi nge-cocaine kwaye, bethatha ithuba lesikhundla sabo njengabasebenzi be-American Airlines, babathubelezisa kwindawo yempahla yenqwelo moya kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya saseSan Juan eLuis Munoz Marin kwinqwelomoya eziya eUnited States.
UMinnette Velez, isithethi seAmerican Airlines eSan Juan, neyindawo yezothutho yenqwelo moya yeCaribbean, uqinisekise ukuba abasebenzi benkampani babanjiwe.
“Nanini na abasemagunyeni besizisa ngemeko efana nale, sisebenza nabo. Bekunjalo apha,” utshilo.
IAmerican Airlines ikhuphe ingxelo isithi: "Njengenkampani, sinethemba lokuba izenzo zabasebenzi abambalwa azibonakalisi kakubi kumashumi amawaka abasebenzi abaziphatha kakuhle kwiAmerican Airlines abasebenza nzima besebenzela uluntu mihla le."
Ukuba bagwetyiwe, abamangalelwa bajongana nobuncinci beminyaka eyi-10 entolongweni kunye nobuninzi bexesha lokuvalelwa entolongweni, kunye nesohlwayo esifikelela kwi-4 yezigidi zeedola.
Abatshutshisi bathi baza kufuna ukuthinjwa impahla exabisa i-18 yezigidi zeerandi eziyeyabamangalelwa, kuquka nenani leendawo zokuhlala kunye namashishini.
IGqwetha laseMelika lasePuerto Rico, uRosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez, uthe abasemagunyeni base-US baya kuqinisa iinzame zabo zokuthintela ukusetyenziswa kwePuerto Rico njengendawo yokuhambisa iziyobisi kwilizwe lase-US.
"Ukusetyenziswa kweenqwelomoya zokurhweba ukuthubelezisa ii-narcotic ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwePuerto Rico, kukwadala isoyikiso esibi kukhuseleko lwethu lwelizwe," wongeze watsho uRodriguez-Velez.
INTO ONOKUYITHATHA KWELI NQAKU:
- The accused, 20 of whom were detained in Puerto Rico and one in Miami, were charged with a conspiracy to distribute more than 9,000 kg (19,800 pounds) of cocaine aboard American Airlines commercial flights, according to an indictment released by the U.
- Isityholo sityhola inkokeli yeringi yokurhweba, umqeshwa weAmerican Airlines uWilfredo Rodriguez-Rosado, ukusukela ngo-1999 waqesha kwaye waququzelela iqela labasebenzi benqwelomoya ukuba bathubelezise iisutikheyisi ezigcwele icocaine kwinqwelomoya yeAmerican Airlines isiya kwizixeko ezahlukeneyo kwilizwekazi laseMelika.
- “As a company, we hope that the actions of a few employees don’t reflect negatively on the tens of thousands of ethical American Airlines employees who work hard to serve the public daily.
