Ex - flight engineer's stories

He is still using this type of handphone even though he claimed he was a former flight engineer with a Korean airline. Apparently he is not tech savy and feel more comfortable using the 2G phone than the smart phone. I met Jag at a coffee shop yesterday and we became chat mates. Jag told me he has been retrenched some years ago and had not been employed. He thought of doing some small business but he lacked the capital. He must be in his early sixties, I guessed.

I asked him what were his fondest memories working as an aircrew and this was what he told me with a cheeky grin ......

He was once arrested for gambling in an illegal casino during one of short nightstops in an Australian port. He and his pilot were playing Blackjack when the police raided the place. They were locked up in a police station for the night and was supposed to be charged in court. He and the pilot begged the police officer in charge to let them go with a fine because they had to fly a plane back to Seoul. After much consideration, they were released after the casino operator who was also arrested with another 10 people, pledged to pay the fine for the 2 aircrew.

Another story was about gold smuggling. Jag befriended a local man named Jon at a pub (also in Australia). On knowing that Jag was an aircrew, Jon persuaded Jag to bring in a 22k gold chain and a gold bracelet. It seemed in Australia at that time only 18k gold was available and 22k was in big demand. Jag agreed to the deal.
As agreed, a week later Jag brought into Australia the items for Jon. As a crew, one had to declare all personal valuables but Jag did not and if caught by the authorities he could be fined and fired from his job. Jag took the risk and profited A$3,000 for his first "assignment".
Jag kept smuggling more gold items for Jon. Jag told me he made almost A$100,000 in all before he was retrenched by the airline.
When pressed on whether he dealt in drugs he swore he was never involved in drug smuggling.

 I thought Jag's stories were interesting and so I would like to share them with you. (Jag is not internet savy so I do not worry about him knowing that I reproduced his stories over here)