Pubdate: Wed, 11 Oct 2000
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000 The Toronto Star
Contact:  One Yonge St., Toronto ON, M5E 1E6
Fax: (416) 869-4322
Website: http://www.thestar.com/
Forum: http://www.thestar.com/editorial/disc_board/
Author: Bob Mitchell, Peel/Halton Bureau Chief

AIRPORT COCAINE COURIERS RISK LIVES

Nine In Hospital Recently After Ingesting Drugs

A Whitby man nearly died and eight other people wound up in hospital in 
recent weeks after being caught smuggling illegal drugs into Canada in 
their stomachs.

They were among at least 40 drug swallowers arrested after flying into 
Pearson International Airport this year, nine since mid August.

Another passenger could have been in similar medical and legal trouble had 
he or she not decided at the last moment not to swallow the drugs, Canada 
Customs officials say.

Maintenance workers found 19 grams of heroin valued at an estimated $74,000 
inside a latex glove that had clogged a toilet on an aircraft arriving from 
Amsterdam on Sept. 16.

"Customs and the RCMP believe that a passenger may have decided not to 
swallow the drugs and disposed of them in the aircraft toilet," Canada 
Customs spokesperson Duncan Smith said.

Swallowers often cut off the fingers of rubber gloves, stuff them with 
narcotics, tie off the tips and swallow them.

Doing so puts the smuggler's life in jeopardy.

The Whitby man, who had to be revived twice, was among seven taken to 
hospital since mid August. The seven had collectively swallowed cocaine 
valued at $500,000, Smith said.

The man, 28, arriving from Jamaica with a 27 year old Oshawa woman, started 
shaking violently while being questioned by customs officers.

"He suddenly displayed symptoms associated with drug packets bursting 
inside the body and was rushed to Etobicoke General's emergency room," 
Smith said. He spent several days in intensive care.

Smith said the man had ingested 360 grams of cocaine, valued at about 
$74,000 on the street. His companion swallowed 100 grams of hashish valued 
at $2,000 and had inserted 1 kilogram of cocaine valued at $200,000 in her 
vagina. 
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