Naples, “Mule Courier” Arrested: He Had 10 Eggs in His Rectum

Napoli– The Carabinieri of the Naples Central Operations Unit have dealt a heavy blow to drug trafficking, arresting a 41-year-old of Nigerian origins at the tourist port.

The man, who was about to board a ferry to Sardinia, was stopped after showing signs of inexplicable agitation. The subsequent X-ray revealed a chilling discovery: in his rectum, the courier was carrying over 100 grams of pure heroin, divided into 10 ova, whose casing was at risk of breaking.

The 41-year-old, fortunately, did not suffer physical damage, but was immediately arrested for possession of drugs for the purpose of dealing and is now in prison awaiting trial.

This arrest, far from being an isolated case, turns the spotlight back on the dangerous and increasingly widespread techniques for concealing drugs inside the human body, known in drug trafficking jargon as “body packing” and “body stuffing”.

Body Packing and Body Stuffing: The Dangerous Techniques of Drug Trafficking “Mules”

In the world of drug trafficking, drug mules, often vulnerable people, are called by different names: “ovulators”, “mules”, “higher angels” or “body packers”.

All these terms identify individuals transformed into real human vectors, who transport narcotic substances by hiding them inside their own bodies. The two main techniques used are “body packing” and “body stuffing”, each with very high risks for the health of the courier.

Body Packing: A Long-Term, High-Risk Transport

Body packing is the most common technique for long-distance transportation. It consists of the voluntary ingestion of ovules or packets of drugs, usually heroin, cocaine or hashish.

The doses are carefully sealed in waterproof packages made of latex, plastic or tape. Once ingested, these packages are transported into the gastrointestinal tract or inserted into other body cavities, with the goal of passing through security checks and being expelled upon arrival at their destination.

The inherent danger of this practice is enormous: the rupture of even a single egg can cause a sudden and potentially lethal overdose, due to the sudden release of a massive amount of drug into the body.

Body Stuffing: The Extremely Dangerous Emergency Concealment

Body stuffing, on the other hand, is an emergency concealment practice. The goal is to quickly get rid of the evidence before being discovered by law enforcement. The potential courier, taken by surprise, quickly ingests or hides in the mouth, throat or other easily accessible cavity small quantities of drugs that have not been packaged properly or have been prepared in a summary manner.

This technique is just as dangerous, if not more so, than body packing. The drug, not being protected by an impermeable casing, can be absorbed very quickly by the mucous membranes, causing serious damage to the organism and putting the life of the “mule” at serious risk.

The arrest in the port of Naples demonstrates that these methods, often associated with cinematic scenarios or exotic drug trafficking routes, are unfortunately a concrete reality and are now widespread even in Italy and in areas like Naples where drug trafficking is very high.