evalution of"body packer syndrome" in Kerman

placement of narcotics inside intestinal tract of passengers and their illegal transfer through police stations and customs is called body packer or body bagger syndrome.in other parts of the world transfer of cocaine by this method has been reported.this prospective study was done with the help of Anti-narcotic Agency on the transfer of opium and heroin packages from Fenruary ۱۹۹۶ to January ۱۹۹۷.through this period of time ۲۲۱ smugglers(۲۱۶ MEN AND ۵ WOMEN) WERE DETAINED,WHO HAD INGESTED THE DRUG,AVERAGE AGE OF MEN WERE ۴۵ YEARS AND WOMEN ۲۸ YEARS.THESE SMUGGLERS WERE TAKEN CARE OF IN THE PRISON INFIRMARY AND WITH THE USE OF ۳۰G TO ۵۰G OF CASTER OIL,۲۰۲ OF THEM DEFECATED THE OACKAGES.HOWEVER THREE OF THE SUBJECTS HAD become poisoned,and another had intestinal obstruction,these four patients were transferred to the hospital.a total of ۱۵ drug poisoning(opium or heroin) were observed because some of the drug packages were ruptured inside the body,all of these cases were hospitalized.in the case of those poisoned with the drug laparatomy was performed following treatment and the pachages were removed.mortality rate of this group was ۲۶% .the weight of the opium carried by these smugglers  was ۶۴.۵۵kg which was packaged inside ۶۰۴۳ bags and heroin weighed about ۱۱.۲۷۳kg and was pachaged inside ۱۵۹۹ bags.since these cases can be observed in other of Iran,this report is published to inform other collegues.