Karleus Fitzgerald Dennis was pronounced dead at hospital after he was rushed from the home on Whitman Seymour Road Tuesday morning
Karleus Fitzgerald Dennis, 24, of Prospect was pronounced dead at hospital after he was rushed from the home on Whitman Seymour Road Tuesday morning. Witnesses said Mr. Dennis had been unwell for a short while, and was forced to leave work that morning.
Police said he appeared to be suffering from a seizure before his death.Royal Cayman Islands Police Superintendent Marlon Bodden said a post mortem revealed Mr. Dennis had at least two packets of cocaine in his stomach and likely died because the packages burst while they were inside his body.
“This is not the first case of drugs being transported within the body into the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Bodden said. “It is nonetheless extremely sad and worrying.”
That worry may be compounded by the fact that the RCIPS recently arrested a 22–year–old man on suspicion of importation of cocaine after he was found with several packets of the drug in his stomach.
The suspect has since been released on bail. He was not injured from carrying the drug packets in his stomach.RCIPS Superintendent Kurt Walton said it seems the suspect in this case was being used as a drug courier or ‘mule’.
“The practice of using drug mules in this way is common across the world and costs many lives,” Mr. Walton said. “I want to warn people that smuggling drugs in this way is like playing Russian roulette. It’s a huge gamble with your life. It is very common for packets to burst, resulting in a painful death.”
Usually, the drug carrier swallows cocaine that has been packaged into pellets and placed inside a latex glove or condom. The drugs are recovered when the latex wrapping is passed through the drug carrier’s digestive system.Illegal substances are transported in this way because it is very difficult to detect them using the standard methods employed at airports such as drug sniffing dogs or metal detectors. However, full body X–rays will detect such a drug carrier.Drug mules who carry illegal substances inside the body are also referred to as ‘swallowers’ or ‘internal carriers.’ This method of drug importation is used most often with cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
Police said he appeared to be suffering from a seizure before his death.Royal Cayman Islands Police Superintendent Marlon Bodden said a post mortem revealed Mr. Dennis had at least two packets of cocaine in his stomach and likely died because the packages burst while they were inside his body.
“This is not the first case of drugs being transported within the body into the Cayman Islands,” Mr. Bodden said. “It is nonetheless extremely sad and worrying.”
That worry may be compounded by the fact that the RCIPS recently arrested a 22–year–old man on suspicion of importation of cocaine after he was found with several packets of the drug in his stomach.
The suspect has since been released on bail. He was not injured from carrying the drug packets in his stomach.RCIPS Superintendent Kurt Walton said it seems the suspect in this case was being used as a drug courier or ‘mule’.
“The practice of using drug mules in this way is common across the world and costs many lives,” Mr. Walton said. “I want to warn people that smuggling drugs in this way is like playing Russian roulette. It’s a huge gamble with your life. It is very common for packets to burst, resulting in a painful death.”
Usually, the drug carrier swallows cocaine that has been packaged into pellets and placed inside a latex glove or condom. The drugs are recovered when the latex wrapping is passed through the drug carrier’s digestive system.Illegal substances are transported in this way because it is very difficult to detect them using the standard methods employed at airports such as drug sniffing dogs or metal detectors. However, full body X–rays will detect such a drug carrier.Drug mules who carry illegal substances inside the body are also referred to as ‘swallowers’ or ‘internal carriers.’ This method of drug importation is used most often with cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
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