Fatal amphetamine and methamphetamine poisoning due to body packer syndrome: autopsy case

Abstract

People who hide illegal substances in body cavities and pass them through checkpoints are called body packers. With this method, many illegal substances such as cocaine, heroin, hashish, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and ecstasy are transported, often hidden in small packages. In our study, a 27-yearold male who was found dead in his hotel room and who was determined to be a body packer after autopsy is presented. During the autopsy, a foreign substance weighing 465 grams in total, packaged in different coloured packaging materials, was detected in the patient's stomach and intestines. Some packages were found to have been opened. Because of opening of the packages, illegal substances can be absorbed and cause fatal poisoning. Therefore, relevant law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and especially forensic medicine professionals must have sufficient knowledge in the antemortem or postmortem approach to package body syndrome cases. In our study, we aimed to contribute to the literature by sharing, discussing and evaluating autopsy findings with forensic and medical documents.