AN alleged ‘drugs mule’ needed emergency surgery to remove the pills he had swallowed in a thwarted attempt to smuggle methamphetamine into the country, the High Criminal Court heard.
It was one of two cases yesterday involving narcotics being hidden in this manner and the fourth involving Pakistanis in less than a week who have flown into Bahraini International Airport and been arrested on arrival.
One defendant, whose age was not revealed, was lucky to be alive after the court was told he had to go under the knife to retrieve 177 pills from his stomach.
After body packers – ‘mules’ – swallow multiple packets, they typically take anti-motility drugs to decrease intestinal movements until the packets can be retrieved. The total amount of drug involved often represents a potentially lethal dose. Rupture of one or more packets is a risk, resulting in abrupt toxicity and overdose.
“The Pakistani man looked anxious which made us suspicious, so we directed him to the red lane at customs,” an alert Bahraini customs officer told the judges.
“After nothing illicit was found on his person or in his luggage, he was scanned with an X-ray machine, which revealed a number of capsules inside his stomach.”
The officer added that the defendant was referred to the anti-narcotics directorate’s office at the airport.
“The Pakistani man was transported to the hospital at the Interior Ministry’s Police Fort, who then transferred him to Salmaniya Medical Centre,” added a Bahraini anti-narcotics officer.
“After he excreted eight pills, it was decided that the defendant would need to undergo a surgical procedure to extract the rest of the contraband.”
He added that after the surgery, the defendant went on to naturally expel another nine methamphetamine pills, now totalling 194.
According to court documents, although denying three charges of drug possession with intention to use, possession with the intention to sell, and importing, producing, manufacturing drugs with intention to sell in court, the defendant had earlier admitted to the Public Prosecution that he had swallowed the contraband in exchange for 60,000 Pakistani rupees (about BD105), granted that he handed the pills over to specific people based in Bahrain.
His case was adjourned until July 25 for further reports.
A second case heard yesterday involved another Pakistani national accused of smuggling 110 capsules inside his body.
The 31-year-old was accused of possessing methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana and diazepam (Valium), where he allegedly meant to sell the first two and use the rest recreationally.
Several police officers testified to Public Prosecution about the late May incident.
“After I escorted the defendant to the hospital, he expelled 27 medium-sized, oval capsules wrapped in plastic cling film,” said a policeman.
Four other policemen testified to seeing him expel the other 38 capsules, which were all similarly packaged.
The defendant admitted that he had brought in the drugs in exchange for a cash amount.
A urine sample showed that he had traces of marijuana and Valium in his system.
His case was adjourned until July 26.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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