NCJ Number
158018
Journal
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Volume: 171 Issue: 3 Dated: (November 1994) Pages: 1385-1387
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Noting that the human body has often been used as a site for the smuggling of illicit drugs, this paper reports a case in which the vagina was used and in which removal of the package containing the drug required the use of obstetric drugs.
Abstract
In nearly all cases the gastrointestinal tract is the anatomic site for concealing the drugs. In one previous report, the vagina was used and the individual died. In this case, a 19-year-old woman arrested by customs officials at Kennedy Airport in New York for suspected cocaine smuggling was referred to a New York hospital. Roentgenography of the pelvis revealed a large density located in the upper vagina. The woman admitted having placed a cocaine-filled package in her vagina before boarding the plane to New York. Manual efforts to dislodge and remove the large package from the vagina were unsuccessful. Therefore, a small Elliot forceps was applied in a manner similar to that for a direct occipitoanterior fetal head, and gentle traction permitted the object's removal. The dimensions of the package were 16 cm by 10 cm by 1 cm. The package contained cocaine. The case demonstrates the feasibility of this method of removal and that few body packers of illicit drugs correctly assess the inordinate risks they incur to their health and life. Photographs and 3 references