A Man Arrested With 1,400 Bags Of Heroin In His Body Discovered By Sniffer Dog
Fernando Estrella, a 41-year-old man from New York City, was arrested on Wednesday in Vermont by authorities and charged with drug trafficking, as well as other crimes, when he was found with the equivalent of more than 1,400 bags of heroin hidden in his body.
Initially Estrella was pulled over by officers in St. Albans City, Vermont, for a number of motor vehicle violations. However, as Reuters shares, sniffer dogs made police aware of the presence of drugs, according to a Vermont State Police press release.
NEW: Police say body cavity search shows man had 1,428 bags of heroin inside. Fernando Estrella facing drug charges. pic.twitter.com/EMDNZ8JHnf
— Jennifer Costa (@WCAX_Jennifer) March 29, 2016
The authorities searched the car after the dog indicated that drugs were present. After searching and not finding any within the vehicle, police sought a warrant for a body cavity search of Estrella. The police press release indicates that at a local hospital, “approximately 1,428 bags worth of heroin [were] located in Estrella.” The statement does not make it known exactly how the drugs were hidden. However, additional details shared by Sgt. John Helfant indicate the manner the heroine was concealed, as New York Daily News relays.
“They eventually removed the three heroin-filled condoms, which equal 1,428 bags for sale, from his rectum, Helfant said. Estrella, 41, had brought the drugs from New York City to be sold in the area, he said.”
This incident comes soon after another creative heroine drug trafficker was arrested for concealing the narcotic in a letter. The international case indicates just how serious the problem of drug trafficking of such a substance is. Vanguard shares details of that specific case that ended in an arrest on March 28.
“Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday, arrested a 33-year-old man with a letter laden with 480 grammes of heroine in Lagos. The suspect, Mr. Yunusa Amusan, was apprehended in connection with the heroine-laden letter, which was sent from Bengaluru, India, on Express Mail Service, EMS, and was addressed to him in Mushin, Lagos.”
Director of Operations and General Investigation, Mr. Mabo Olugbenga, assured that the suspect was detained for his activity and shared the details of the arrest and the case.
“The illicit smuggling of narcotic drugs under the guise of letters was reported and closely monitored by the agency. It was confirmed that Mr. Yunusa Amusan was recruited by his uncle, who lives in India, to take delivery of heroin concealed in letters. The suspect was arrested after collecting the letter and further investigation is ongoing… The operations of the agency have been diversified to cover mail services. Drug control is an intelligence-led operation and NDLEA, under my dispensation, will spread its tentacles to all possible areas of narcotic smuggling. We will not relent in taking deliberate and sustained efforts towards preventing drug trafficking under any guise in the country; be it by air, land and water.”
The need for such measures in clearly high seeing as in both cases, the manner in which smuggling occurred is at a new level of ingenuity and desperation. The very thought that a man would be willing to smuggle more than 1,400 bags of heroin within his rectum indicates that traffickers will go to all lengths to transport their narcotics. Additionally Amusan, concealing heroine in letters and being recruited by his own uncle, is an account that many must be shaking their heads at.
[Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
