Mules: the weakest link in drug trafficking

Known by the name of mules, they transport narcotics from one country to another with increasingly ingenious and varied methods: in hidden compartments in suitcases, in footwear or clothing, and even within the body itself.

These are people who ingest drug capsules, usually cocaine or heroin, inside latex gloves, condoms, to prevent normal digestive processes from ruining the merchandise. The mission consists of ingesting the capsules, transporting them from one country to another, expelling them, cleaning them and delivering them to another member of the drug organization who is in charge of receiving them.

In this traffic mode we will stop in this article.

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Mules: who are the chosen ones?

In general, when recruiting mules, from drug trafficking people with very low resources and poverty are sought, in situations of great vulnerability, marginality, despair and lack of perception of opportunities to get ahead, among other factors.

By agreeing to transport drugs they become criminals at the same time as they are victims of criminal organizations that the conditions in which the people who access this type of activity live are abused. They give them the assurance that it is not a dangerous activity and that everything is fixed. They deceive them and promise security conditions that are then not met.

And they do not always agree voluntarily. Many times they are deceived, extorted into carrying out the task, forcing them to carry the drugs by force and under threat against themselves or their family. In other cases, they are victims of human trafficking networks.

An important fact is that airport security has a body scanner, which detects the capsules inside the body, therefore it is no coincidence that many of the mules are pregnant women, who cannot be subjected to X-rays, which makes it more difficult for them to be detained. They are like a perfect "container", although the weakest and physically compromised.

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Lack of awareness of risks

The decision to be a mule is usually developed in the combination of a vulnerable situation of despair and hopelessness and a false conception that this is an activity that will generate money easily. It is perceived as a possible opportunity and way of subsistence.

But this really easy "job" has nothing: involves first of all risks to the health of the person (poisoning, intestinal obstruction, peritonitis and if a capsule ruptures, it is very likely that your transporter dies) and exposes her to commit a crime punishable by imprisonment for possession and trafficking of narcotics. This will depend on the country where the mules are discovered.

There are countries where the penalties go up to 12 years in prison, according to the amounts trafficked and whether or not there is collaboration in the arrest and in the subsequent investigation. In other countries such as China and Indonesia, the penalties faced by drug trafficking mules can reach life imprisonment and even the death penalty.

In the case of Argentina, and according to the report "Imprisonments for crimes related to narcotics in Argentina ", 7 out of 10 foreign women imprisoned are detained after having acted like mules. The vast majority of female prisoners are mothers and have young children, in situations of vulnerability, helplessness and both emotional and economic deficiencies.

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Disposable containers

Two months ago, a 19-year-old girl was found dead in a downtown street in the city of Buenos Aires after two cocaine capsules (out of a total of 80) exploded inside her stomach.

According to witnesses in the case, the young woman was thrown from a vehicle, so it is believed that other people involved in that network, in the face of her death, simply discarded her. A container that no longer serves must be thrown away. Mules are no longer human beings for drug traffickers, are a necessary object in the chain of operations but replaceable.

Many links in the narco chain

When this works and it is possible to get the drug to the desired point, it is thanks to a large network of accomplices, ranging from those who obtain and store the product, who recruits, who transports, who delivers the substance, who facilitates the procedures to make the trip, who receives the merchandise, and any corrupt and necessary arrangement with airport security personnel or border.

Both mules and vendors commit crimes for which they are tried and imprisoned, however they are media replaceable by other pairs. For this reason, his detention barely touches the powerful drug traffickers who, free and preserved, will continue to negotiate with people's health and lives.

For the drug trafficker, each mule is an object that stores his valuable merchandise, his life does not matter, it is only relevant that the capsules arrive at their destination and without the slightest financial loss. It is a multibillion dollar business that plays with life and death.

Bibliographic references:

• Corda, A. (2011). Imprisonments for drug-related crimes in Argentina.

• Drug dealing, prisons and "timely reforms": the phrases of the Minister of Justice, published in lanueva.com and consulted on 09/08/2017
• Most of the foreign prisoners are "mules", available in http://www.lavoz.com.ar/sucesos/las-mayorias-de-las-extranjeras-presas-son-mulas and consulted on 08/09/2017