Smuggler

Livestock

Smugglers have also been known to transport contraband with the use of livestock. One such example is the use of horses, donkeys, mules and ponies. The traffickers often strap the illicit goods to the packhorses pack saddle, so that the animal can carry more loads of contraband further and across more rugged terrain than a human courier. In addition to Packhorses, Smugglers have also been known to transport contraband with the use of horse-drawn vehicles. Additionally there are also livestock that smugglers have used as living body couriers, in such instances the animals are either made to swallow the drugs or the drugs are surgically implanted inside the animals before they are herded to another destination, at a later date when the animals are slaughtered for their meat, the drugs are then removed and given to associates. One such example is the use of cattle. Cattle have been used as 'body couriers' to transport contraband in multiple ways, often by inserting the drugs into the cattle, to be removed at a later time after slaughter. Another animal that traffickers have used as body couriers are goats, which they remove drugs from after slaughter. Additionally another animal that has been used by smugglers to transport contraband are sheep. Oftentimes, the traffickers either attach the drugs to the sheep's wool or they insert the drugs inside the sheep to be removed at a later date after slaughter. What type of livestock or pack animals do organized criminals use to carry contraband, often depends on availability and region. For example, in parts of South America, traffickers have used llamas as pack animals to transport drugs across rugged terrain or across borders. In certain parts of Asia, elephants have been used as pack animals to carry large amounts of drugs across wilderness areas or across borders. In Middle Eastern countries, smugglers have also been known to use camels as pack animals to transport drugs across further distances or across borders.