Ecuadorian Drug Mule Dies After Cocaine Capsules Burst in His Stomach During Layover in Istanbul Airport
This picture shows an X-rays of the abdomen of a drug mule containing several capsules of cocaine (small egg-size balls behind the zip and trousers' button) which were ingested by a mule to cross borders, is displayed at the medical centre of the Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, in Roissy, outside Paris on September 19, 2018. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images

An Ecuadorian drug mule traveling from Spain back to Ecuador died after cocaine capsules hidden in his stomach burst during a stopover in Istanbul, police in Turkey said Friday.

The 45-year-old Ecuadorian national was heading to the outgoing flights terminal of Istanbul Airport for a connecting flight to Ecuadorian capital Quito when he collapsed.

Ecuadorian Poisoned by Cocaine

The Ecuadorian national, who came from Madrid, collapsed at the terminal and hit his head on the ground. The health care crews present at the airport provided first aid and took the man to a hospital, but he succumbed also due to the wound in his head.

Based on the forensics examination, the victim was poisoned when two capsules of cocaine exploded inside his stomach for an unknown reason. According to Daily Sabah, Turkish police found 400 grams or 14 ounces of cocaine in his stomach when he was examined.

Based on a security camera footage that caught the incident, the Ecuadorian national suddenly collapsed backward at a security checkpoint at the Istanbul Airport's terminal, and blood leaked from his mouth after he collapsed.

Because of its location, situated in the European continent and Asia, Turkey became a transit route for drug smugglers between the two continents.

Last year, the Turkish police seized tons of drugs in the country. Authorities in Turkey have confiscated an estimated $19 billion worth of illegal drugs in 2020.

Homicides as Revenge for Key Drug Seizure in Ecuador

Last month, seven people were gunned down in Guayaquil, Ecuador after a record cocaine seizure. It was an attack that triggered drug cartels and gangs responsible for the storage and transport of cocaine in Ecuador to retaliate, InSight Crime reported.

The wave of killings came after the Ecuadorian authorities seized 9.6 tons of cocaine, which was a record haul in recent years, authorities said during the August 13 news conference.

Based on a video news release, police discovered a massive amount of drugs after they smashed a false wall in a warehouse in Vergales, a neighborhood in northern Guayaquil.

The stash house, where the drugs were hidden, was disguised as a water bottler and seller. However, Ecuadorian authorities found that the cocaine was packaged in some 9,500 bricks and ready for shipment to Mexico and the United States.

El Universo reported that the slayings started hours after the discovery of the drugs. It began when motorcycle assassins shot two men.

On August 15, six gunmen also opened fire on a couple. The incident was allegedly linked to the former leader of the Lagartos gang, which is one of Ecuador's largest gangs.

Ecuadorian Police Colonel Henry Tapia said that gangs were behind the spate of killings, which all occurred in southern Guayaquil. Tapia noted that "lower criminal gangs" and not a bigger criminal group were looking for those responsible for the loss of the cocaine shipment.

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Written by: Jess Smith

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