title: Suicide of a body packer.
abstract: The smuggling of illicit drugs by means of body packing has become a common problem at European airports. Europe is considered to be the fastest growing market for cocaine worldwide, and the air route is the most frequently used method of trafficking cocaine. Smuggling illicit drugs by use of body packing is considered to be a high toxicological hazard because of the risk of leakage or a package bursting. We report about the first case of suicide of a body packer by re-ingesting the content of excreted cocaine packages. The consequence of this case is that the death scene investigation and autopsy assessments in case of a body packer's death should always consider the possibility of re-ingested packages. Detention personnel should be instructed by forensic and criminalistic experts to take preventive measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stichenwirth
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stelwag-Carion
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klupp
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hönigschnabl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vycudilik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Risser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003042:Cocaine / Q000506:poisoning*; D003415:Crime; D004064:Digestive System / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine