From time to time one reads/hears of some small fry being caught in possession of illegal drugs, whether on some port or along some roadway, but every time as a result of some tip-off, or "certain information" received by the police. Every time such a thing happens, one also hears this one persistent rumour: that the tip-off and subsequent interdiction of the small fry permits other small fries, or a big fry, to slip through the net.
And every time such a thing happens, the thus ensnared small fries immediately turn into clams: not even the most diligent police interrogator can extract a peep from them about the big fish. Perhaps this is the case because, where local drug interdiction modus operandi is concerned, sequitur, unlike the elusive big fishes, is given no quarter, since if it were there would surely have been no need for anyone to ask these two questions:
Why is it that there isn't, immediately, a lockdown of the entire plane, ship or roadway network where the small fry is caught, so that a fine-toothed-comb sweep can be made for to put such rumours to rest–or to the test?
Why is that the small fry isn't offered inducements to spill their guts, inducements that are far more enticing than whatever the big fish might have offered them?
Unless...? No, that causes too many shudders to continue thinking along those lines.
Richard W Thomas
Five Rivers, Arouca