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SUA CASA CAI – YOUR HOUSE FALLS

the airport now.’ I think everything go down because my wife was hurrying me.

– Rafael

The next day, as Otto stood in line waiting to board the plane, there was a sudden commotion. A girl just ahead was pulled aside. They’d found 3.5 kilos of cocaine in her hand luggage. In those first moments of chaos, Otto had a chance to flee. But he decided not to; he felt confident that his bag was well packed and safely checked in. He thought they’d take her and let everyone else board the plane, but police suspected the 17-year-old girl from Cape Verde was a decoy for a larger amount. Suddenly, the window to flee slammed shut – every passenger was a suspect. Cops began checking them one by one, taking their bags off the plane for a rigorous search. They found the coke in Otto’s backpack and hit their second jackpot for that flight.

A Brazilian, Otto Koester, 26, who also has Swiss nationality, was carrying 4 kg of cocaine in his baggage. Both [he and the 17-year-old girl] were trying to go to Europe on the same flight, although they had no connection with each other.

– Federal Police Association Press Agency, 11 April 2008

Rafael was waiting in his hotel when he got word from Lee that Otto had been busted. Lee had checked the net when Otto didn’t show. Rafael felt exhausted. All he had to show for the past six months of hard work were failed projects, guilt over his jailed horses, and bankruptcy.

I was still in Rio, hiding myself in some hotel. I was already very depressed because I lose a lot of coke, I put three people in jail,

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