Death following cocaine poisoning in body packer: Two cases report and review of the literature

Abstract

Background: Body packing is the concealment of illicit drugs enclosed in containers inside the body by swallowing or insertion into the rectum or vagina, usually for transportation to escape detection by customs agents. This report seeks to explore ways of establishing general definition of body packer in the Moroccan context and assess it’s possible implications on data collection and future research. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive and analytical retrospective study of two fatal cases related to Cocaine toxicity of body packers. The deceased underwent an autopsy at Medico-legal institute of Ibn Rochd University Hospital (UHC) of Casablanca, Morocco. Cases presentation: In these index cases, 02 male youths of foreign nationality in their twenties died in Casablanca airport. The young men took ill at the airport. Abdominal CT scan subsequently performed at the hospital revealed intra-abdominal capsules in both cases. Autopsy showed 47 whitish capsules in the stomach and colon in the first case and 67 similar capsules in the small intestine in the second case. Rapid toxicology testing in the forensic laboratory confirmed the powder to be cocaine. The cause of death was secondary to acute intoxication by leakage of cocaine substances from their packaging. Conclusion: Prevention and compliance with the legislation governing drug trafficking activities, are of vital interest in reducing the incidence of youth use as vectors of drugs and mortality consequence.