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In the Netherlands a police raid lead to the discovery of a soundproofed shipping container in a warehouse equipped as a torture chamber, complete with a creepy

In the Netherlands a police raid lead to the discovery of a soundproofed shipping container in a warehouse equipped as a torture chamber, complete with a creepy old barber's chair replete with leather straps, handcuffs suspended from the ceiling, and an assortment of pliers and other tools. They prevented the crime syndicate behind it from executing a carefully orchestrated plan were a team posing as a police tactical unit would 'arrest' a competing drug lord and take him to their newly prepared torture chamber. They had the van and the appropriate uniforms all ready for use. The idea that the police squad busting down your door might not be the actual police is downright scary. Of course this is an extreme case, and involving something most of us are not involved in, but it does make you wonder what recourse the drug lord would have had (except for the obvious 'don't be a drug lord, dummy' solution of course). I doubt 'can I just check your badge for a moment?' would work even if the actual police showed up.

jbay808 6y ago
Good point. You also don't need to be a drug lord to have ruthless enemies. Even Gandhi and MLK got assassinated.
- vikramkr 6y ago
  You say "even" as if two powerful leaders that helped catalyze enormous changes in society resulting in a fundamental shift in who has power and autonomy would somehow be less likely to have ruthless enemies. Those are the folks who if anything are more at risk of being killed by powerful enemies than a druglord since MLK, Gandhi, Lincoln etc had enemies motivated by pure ideology (white supremacy, hindu supremacy, white supremacy) while drug lords'enemies are motivated by money. I'd be a lot more worried about the former.
  - jbay808 6y ago
    Right, what I meant is that it's easy for someone to dismiss a drug lord being assassinated as "just deserves" or "live by the sword die by the sword" or "tut tut, that's why you shouldn't be a drug lord". I just mean to show that even upstanding citizens and role models and inspirational figures could have enemies ruthless enough to drag them into an unmarked van. "That's why you shouldn't become an upstanding moral figure" is what they'll say.
beagle3 6y ago
I watched Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy" movie (from 1990?) last week and as part of the plot, one mobster (played by Al Pacino) mattert-of-factly sent thungs-dressed-as-cops to "arrest" and later kill a competing mobster. I'm sure if you go take a stroll down the history of crime, both fictionalized and real, this has happened tens of times.

jbay808 6y ago

Good point. You also don't need to be a drug lord to have ruthless enemies. Even Gandhi and MLK got assassinated.

vikramkr 6y ago
You say "even" as if two powerful leaders that helped catalyze enormous changes in society resulting in a fundamental shift in who has power and autonomy would somehow be less likely to have ruthless enemies. Those are the folks who if anything are more at risk of being killed by powerful enemies than a druglord since MLK, Gandhi, Lincoln etc had enemies motivated by pure ideology (white supremacy, hindu supremacy, white supremacy) while drug lords'enemies are motivated by money. I'd be a lot more worried about the former.
- jbay808 6y ago
  Right, what I meant is that it's easy for someone to dismiss a drug lord being assassinated as "just deserves" or "live by the sword die by the sword" or "tut tut, that's why you shouldn't be a drug lord". I just mean to show that even upstanding citizens and role models and inspirational figures could have enemies ruthless enough to drag them into an unmarked van. "That's why you shouldn't become an upstanding moral figure" is what they'll say.

beagle3 6y ago

I watched Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy" movie (from 1990?) last week and as part of the plot, one mobster (played by Al Pacino) mattert-of-factly sent thungs-dressed-as-cops to "arrest" and later kill a competing mobster. I'm sure if you go take a stroll down the history of crime, both fictionalized and real, this has happened tens of times.