Bdos: Jackass mules

A RISE in the number of international drug mules, or packers, arriving here and the lack of bed space has led to their being treated differently by health officials at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Doctors there told the DAILY NATION yesterday that instead of admitting them to a ward, they were now treating them in the Accident & Emergency Department until they passed out the packets of illegal drugs because of a lack of beds.

Although it takes an average of 18 to 20 hours for the packets to exit the body, a doctor explained, last January a Jamaican woman spent six days at the QEH after swallowing 121 packets of cannabis.

The frequency of drug mule arrivals here is a source of concern for both health officials and the Police Force.