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Fatal heroin body packing

C V Wetli1, A Rao, V J Rao

  • 1Medical Examiner Office, Hauppauge, NY 11787-4311, USA.

The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|September 18, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Fatal heroin body packing, often involving high drug levels, differs from cocaine smuggling. Accomplices may abandon smugglers after attempting to retrieve packets post-mortem.

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Area of Science:

  • Forensic Toxicology
  • Criminal Justice
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Heroin body packing is a high-risk drug smuggling method.
  • Previous studies have focused on cocaine body packing, with less data on heroin.

Observation:

  • Ten cases of heroin body packing deaths are analyzed, with most victims traveling to/from Colombia.
  • Drug packet deterioration in the gastrointestinal tract led to death in eight cases.
  • Accomplices attempted post-mortem packet removal in two instances.

Findings:

  • Fatal heroin body packing can result in extremely high blood morphine concentrations (up to 52.6 mg/L).
  • One case involved peritonitis from small-bowel obstruction due to packets; another was from recreational heroin use.
  • Heroin purity ranged from 65% to 73% in analyzed cases.

Implications:

  • Heroin body packing presents unique toxicological challenges compared to cocaine.
  • Accomplice behavior, including abandonment, is a notable factor in heroin smuggling fatalities.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for law enforcement and medical examiner investigations.

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