By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff Reporter
AT LEAST 10 of some 150 drug mules have died from the effects of swallowing cocaine since the start of the year. Six more were busted Friday night by narcotics detectives - five at the Norman Manley International Airport and one at a hospital in Clarendon.
"They are now being processed at hospitals and my understanding is that two of them are in critical condition. We cannot release their names as yet, because they are not yet charged," Senior Superintendent Carl Williams, head of the Narcotics Division, told The Gleaner yesterday.
But Corporal Troy Anderson, of the Constabulary Communi-cations Network (CCN), told The Gleaner late yesterday evening, that two of the suspects had been discharged from hospitals and taken to a Corporate Area police lock-up. The others are still hospitalised.
SSP Williams pointed out that since the start of the year more than 150 persons, who have ingested cocaine in an attempt to smuggle it out of the island, have been caught and at least 10 have died.
"Four of them died last month," Mr. Williams said.
Reports are that five of the suspects caught Friday night were destined for the United Kingdom. They were nabbed at the Norman Manley Airport. It is alleged that a sixth person was apprehended at a hospital in Clarendon.
"We understand that she too was scheduled to leave Friday night for England but, prior to her departure, she began vomiting and complained of not feeling well. She was taken to the May Pen Hospital," said SSP Williams.
Mr. Williams explained that it is a dangerous practice to swallow packets of cocaine and attempt to smuggle them out of the island. He has appealed to would-be smugglers to desist from the practice.
The suspects were apprehended less than 24 hours after 16 others were intercepted at the Gatwick Airport in London by Customs Officers when they arrived on a flight from Jamaica.
The previous week 25 passengers en route from Kingston to the Heathrow Airport in London were arrested and cocaine worth an estimated one million pounds (sterling) were seized.
Commenting on the success on the part of the British Government in arresting drug couriers, SSP Williams said that local police have been playing a major role in those successes.
The Narcotics Chief said local police have been supplying the British authorities with the relevant information to assist in the arrest of the drug "mules" when they arrive there.
