After a German woman is caught with packs of cocaine in her body, for a reportage for the news program Tagesschau the Brussels bureau from the German first public TV broadcaster ARD wants to know how the recruiting of European cocaine body packers works and what routes the smugglers use.
These kind of smugglers are often called a mule or courier. They personally smuggle contraband across a border for a smuggling organization. The organizers employ mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves. Methods of smuggling include hiding the goods in vehicles or carried items, attaching them to one’s body, or using the body as a container. Lately especially swallowing bodypacks is a popular way to smuggle cocaine.