Pubdate: Tue, 15 Jan 2008
Source: Belfast Telegraph (UK)
Copyright: 2008 Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/42
Author: Deborah Mcaleese
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COKE SMUGGLERS RUN GHASTLY DEATH RISK

Drug traffickers from across Europe are risking their  lives by 
hiding thousands of pounds of cocaine inside  their bodies and 
smuggling it into Ulster.

The deadly drug is being wrapped in small pellets,  which are either 
swallowed or carried in the vaginal or  rectal area, and then 
trafficked into Northern Ireland  via a number of potential air 
routes direct from Europe  into Belfast.

Customs officials have identified a key air route from  Amsterdam 
into Belfast International Airport that was  being used by the traffickers.

Four seizures were made from that route in just over  two months.

"Cocaine is being smuggled into Northern Ireland by air  and stuffed 
into the body. It is a serious risk to  their health. If one of these 
packets split they are  almost certainly going to die," said 
Assistant Director  of Criminal Investigations at HM Revenue and 
Customs,  John Whiting.

Some traffickers on UK-bound flights have been caught  with up to a 
kilo of the killer drug inside their  bodies.

However, there was a case in Scotland where a man was  caught 
internally carrying 200 pellets - two kilos.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom