Source - trigger warning for photo of the bags/implants on a table, no visible blood although some staining and wetness to the papers underneath (I assume because they were washed or something). EDIT: THERE IS BLOOD IN THE PHOTO ACTUALLY.
Spanish authorities have arrested a Panamanian woman who arrived at Barcelona airport with 1.38kg of cocaine concealed in her breast implants.
The interior ministry said on Wednesday border police had noticed fresh scars and blood-stained gauze on the woman's chest and pale patches beneath her skin. The woman said she had recently had breast implant surgery.
Officers were suspicious and sent her to a local hospital where the implants were removed and found to contain cocaine, the ministry added.
The woman had flown in from Bogotá, Colombia.
European authorities routinely submit passengers arriving from Latin America to stringent checks to combat drug smuggling.
Keep thinking I should put a trigger warning on this post, but I can't think what it would say. Any suggestions/advice? Does it need one?
Spanish authorities have arrested a Panamanian woman who arrived at Barcelona airport with 1.38kg of cocaine concealed in her breast implants.
The interior ministry said on Wednesday border police had noticed fresh scars and blood-stained gauze on the woman's chest and pale patches beneath her skin. The woman said she had recently had breast implant surgery.
Officers were suspicious and sent her to a local hospital where the implants were removed and found to contain cocaine, the ministry added.
The woman had flown in from Bogotá, Colombia.
European authorities routinely submit passengers arriving from Latin America to stringent checks to combat drug smuggling.
Keep thinking I should put a trigger warning on this post, but I can't think what it would say. Any suggestions/advice? Does it need one?
The idea that officials would take the woman to a hospital to take out her breast implants is also rather horrific in my POV. XD How many women did they drag off to undo that procedure to have such a weighty decision made by border police?
I'm just totally creeped out by the implication of ANYONE taking off with me to have a force surgery that wasn't necessary...
ETA: I'm creeped out by the entire story too. I can't imagine signing on to have her breasts cut open and sewn shut again twice was her first choice.
Edited at 2012-12-13 07:28 pm (UTC)
I'm not worried about the cleanliness of a hospital over an airport. It's the dragging off thing that gets me.
And I do think their suspicions were reasonable if it appeared she had a really bad boob job to the point it was bleeding out right then. That's horrible work. Something isn't right. In a worst cast scenario for the cops, the woman's health was endangered by a bad boob job. In a best case scenario, they catch a crook.
I think they should have much more than mere suspicions to haul her off as it's clear they weren't actually worried about her health. Though, that could just be the author of article that is implying that.
I am curious as to what set the officers suspicions off, because now I can't help but wonder if "woman + recent breast implants + arriving from Columbia = suspected drug smuggler" from now on.
http://vitemo.com/tv/law-and-order-s
Part of me wonders if some criminals are taking their cues from TV these days. Is art imitating life or life imitating art? #deepquestions
The practise is really not uncommon. Drug smugglers will find any way to get their wares across borders.
(Also, just a head's up OP, there actually is visible blood on the implant bags in the photo at the article.)
I did wonder about tagging it 'body modification' but was worried about being seen to equate a women most likely not having a choice about having her body exploited to smuggle drugs, with women who choose to modify their bodies...
The idea that this poor women, in some kind of either physical or mental dire straits, was sliced open so she could have *coke* shoved into her breasts just makes me ill.
And rather homicidal toward the fucking *men* who would so blithely mutilate her for their own gain.
Also, given that (admittedly anedotal) experience, I was under the impression one needed a bag for uhm... fluid drainage, not to mention that it is nearly impossible to go to the bathroom or get seated/up from a seat without help.
I have to wonder about the circumstances as to how she got into this. Was she a willing participant bargaining that agony to get on a flight, or was it something even worse?
The first thing I thought of was Sin Senos no hay Paraiso.
Basically, they profile passengers coming off of "high risk" flights. A lot of cocaine comes from Colombia so a Bogota-->Barcelona would be categorized as "high risk" for drug trafficking.
I know in at least some countries, (and even the US) they have official interviews waiting outside of these flights and they pull aside "suspicious" people for simple questioning. As a single black traveler, I get singled out often. Last time it was from a Bangkok ---> Hong Kong flight.
They ask you simple initial questions as you get off, such as your origin, destination, and purpose for traveling. They'll check your itinerary and passbook for appropriate visas. If your answers aren't suspicious, they let you go.
Even then, airport officials will simply call the phone number, introduce themselves as officers, and whoever answers will quickly deny knowing the person. Then the real suspicion starts, probably with a luggage search and an x-ray.
What I'm saying is, it escalates to that point.
Has anyone seen the movie Maria Full of Grace?
I think we should start a book / movie club here (lol) or something like that...