Abdominal radiography in suspected 'body packers'

Drug smuggling by intra-abdominal concealment is now a world-wide problem. This paper describes the establishment of a plain radiography service to assist customs officers of Manchester International Airport (MIA) in their work. Over a 2 1/2 year period, 158 suspected 'body packers' were radiographed, resulting in nine positive detections. The existence of the service has resulted in the apparent abandonment of MIA as a port of entry by an organized group of cocaine smugglers. Practical and ethical problems are described. This service is felt to be essential by the customs officers and a valuable service to society by the radiologists and hospital authorities concerned.