Airport Drug Mules: What Happens When Packets Burst

Barajas Airport in Madrid, Spain, recorded approximately 120 drug smuggling cases in 2024. Airports remain key transit points for so-called drug “mules” — individuals who attempt to smuggle narcotics by concealing them in luggage, attaching them to their bodies, or ingesting them in pellet or “acorn” form. In 2023, authorities at the airport reported a record volume of seized narcotics, including 1 ton of hashish and 2.5 tons of cocaine.

Rosa Pérez Losa, MSc, emergency coordinator at Sistema d’Emergències Mèdiques Catalonia, Spain, said, “The Emergency Medical System in Catalonia is typically contacted only when a person suspected of drug transport shows significant symptoms. “We’re usually called only if the individual displays significant medical issues,” she noted. “The Civil Guard often identifies potential drug mules, such as passengers traveling alone on so-called hot flights. Recently, traffickers have also started using vulnerable individuals, including people with mental disabilities or those who use orthotics or wheelchairs, in an attempt to bypass security checks more easily.” (Medscape, USA, 21.07.2025)

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/airport-drug-mules-what-happens-when-packets-burst-2025a1000j7b