A Paraguayan drug mule is bleeding terribly after being arrested at OR Tambo International Airport with drugs in his stomach.
The 43-year-old, who had arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo on Sunday, October 6, was found to have swallowed over 20 bullets suspected to contain cocaine.
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Paraguayan Drug Mule Now Bleeding
Authorities rushed the man to the hospital after a medical examination revealed alarming health complications.
Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosiliki said the operation to remove the drugs was halted due to the suspect’s deteriorating condition.
“Every time, after more than a hundred bullets came out, he started bleeding. So, every time a bullet came out, it came out with traces of blood, which is an indication there is a medical challenge inside the stomach,” Mosiliki explained.
The suspect had expelled 117 of the cocaine-filled bullets before the procedure was suspended. Mosiliki warned that swallowing drugs is not only illegal but poses a severe threat to the health of those involved.
“The risk is that it might rupture. You might have a rupture within or the possibility of bullets being… They can explode. It’s an instant life loss that happens. So, it is dangerous to swallow these bullets, especially in recent days, the numbers that we’re detecting here at OR Tambo and other ports of entry when these mules are arrested,” she added.
Crafty “Coke” Carriers
Paraguayan Drug Mule Hospitalised Due To Bleeding After Being Caught With Drugs In His Stomach [Image: SAPS]
The Deputy Commissioner also highlighted a troubling trend among drug mules. Smugglers, she said, are now avoiding traditional baggage methods and instead are swallowing bullets to transport narcotics.
“I’ve been informed that the bullet size is almost 10g, which is huge for a person to consume. It’s a dangerous exercise and is discouraged in all respects because it’s a medical issue that no one can stop when it happens,” Mosiliki noted.
The police have not disclosed the suspect’s current medical condition but confirmed that investigations are ongoing. This case is one of many involving drug mules intercepted at South African airports.
Over the last month, authorities have busted a Namibian and a South African drug mule at OR Tambo International Airport.