Smugglers hid heroin in puppies' bellies: police

Colombian drug traffickers surgically hid heroin in puppies' bellies in a plan to evade international customs controls, police have said.

Acting on a tip-off, police found six puppies with scars on their abdomens at a rural property near the city of Medellin in northern Colombia, the Colombian Police said in a news release.

Ultrasound scans revealed bags of liquid heroin hidden inside the living animals.

Police said traffickers planned to retrieve the drug once the dogs had passed customs abroad.

"The lust for money leads criminals to commit acts of great cruelty," the police said.

The puppies were recovering after the heroin was removed by veterinarians.

Using animals for smuggling is unusual although drug smugglers often rely on couriers to swallow condoms full of drugs and one Colombian woman was once found with cocaine surgically implanted in her buttocks.

Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine and the main supplier of heroin to the United States.

-Reuters


http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200501/s1276880.htm

(It also reported on the news that 3 of the puppies died while undergoing surgery to remove the bags.)

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:40 am:

That is one of the most awful things I've ever heard.

By Shellyg on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 10:43 am:

I saw this! That is just sick! Creeps!

By Kernkate on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 02:10 pm:

This is just terrible. I saw it on the news this morning. When will it ever end!

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 05:05 pm:

That's horrible!

By Juli4 on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 05:23 pm:

That is absolutely terrible.

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, February 2, 2006 - 06:48 pm:

Of course it's terrible. But, what makes you think drug dealers give a hoot? Remember, they are making huge, huge, huge amounts of money by selling what is essentially poison (imo).