Salem, Massachusetts – A team of surgeons at a Massachusetts Hospital removed on Thursday a total of 163 grams of heroin from a 51-year-old man’s stomach, intestines, and even his rectum. The six-ounce bags were removed through a surgical operation conducted with the police observing.
The Massachusetts police department reported the man is called Miguel Rodriguez, a 51-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic who had just arrived at the U.S. He had allegedly swallowed the 27 bags full of heroin to smuggle them into the United States. Nor he faces drug trafficking charges.
The way to Rodriguez confession
On Tuesday, Rodriguez reported to the North Shore Medical Center Salem Hospital, complaining that he was feeling sick after eating a lobster. However, after consulting the patient, the staff recognized his symptoms as he was suffering from drugs intoxication. So, instead of treating him for food poisoning, they gave him the drug Narcan, a lifesaving drug for opioid overdose.
The patient’s condition stabilized after taking Narcan and he was then confronted by the doctors. After being questioned about his health, he confessed that he had returned from the Dominican Republic where he had swallowed “something bad”, meaning several bags of heroin, with the plan to smuggle them into the United States.
On his journey, Rodriguez had acquired a large quantity of heroin, which he wanted to smuggle into the States and to be sure he passes airport security, he decided to pack the heroin into 27 bags and ingested them.
After the bags were extracted, the police confiscated the illegal substances.
Rodriguez’s accusations
For his actions, Miguel Rodriguez was charged with drug trafficking on Thursday. He pleaded guilty when asked about his stance on the case. However, since Rodriguez is currently recuperating in the hospital from major surgery, the Court has agreed to set a bail. According to the Court, the bail for Rodriguez’s release has been set at 500.000 dollars.
Captain Conrad Prosniewski, Salem’s Chief of Police declared that drug activity has increased in the last decade. Furthermore, the captain also pointed out that since the beginning of 2016, the police department handles no less than 29 OD cases, three of which were fatal.
“The bottom line is that this is a person who is bringing the drug into the country and this is the drug that is killing our people. The quantity that he had inside of him came to the weight level that exceeded the trafficking qualifications.” police Captain Conrad Prosniewski regarding the incident.
Source: Tech Times