The Internal Machinations of Cocaine: The Evolution, Risks, and Sentencing of Body Packers

What is a body packer or drug mule? Body packers traffic drugs via the ‘corporal concealment of illicit drugs either by swallowing packets of drugs or inserting them in body cavities’ [1]. Whilst drug mules employ internal and external trafficking methods [2]. The terms body packers and drug mules shall be used interchangeably throughout the review. Cases have been reported of ‘packages stored in the rectum, vagina and ... the ear’ [3], there are also those who will ingest the packages. These will pass through the gastro-intestinal tract until they can be expelled via defecation. ‘This process should take long enough for the person to get through customs, and it is not uncommon for constipating agents to be used to aid this method’ [4]. If the body packer completes the journey without complications (which is not uncommon) they will proceed by expelling the packages and the cocaine will be recovered and sold illicitly. However, as mentioned before there can be complications involved in the process. There are dangers associated with body packing that are not commonly known Figure 1 [5].