[illegal aliens] of snakeheads, dashboards & cash

How a story grows and grows:

US Customs and Border Protection said inspectors found a 40-year-old man crammed into the dash of a Mercury Sable mid-size car during a routine inspection at the Calexico port of entry in southern California on Saturday.

This led to the tale of snakeheads and Sister Ping, who arranged for illegal Chinese immigrants to go to the West but then kidnapped them on arrival and demand huge ransom, often using torture. The most notorious incident was when the ship Golden Venture ran aground off New York and the scam was exposed.

I’d like to know from where the $30 000 ‘fee’ would come from. If illegals could find that sort of cash, surely they could do what was necessary to enter the US the normal way. If that was impossible because of criminal connections, then surely it would be dangerous for the snakeheads to take them on in the first place.

The Zorlu Turkish affair is Britain's contribution and the Dorset coast, near Bournemouth, is a notorious entry point.