# Smuggling drug balloons:  worth my time?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 2, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273 "2004-07-02T20:30:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273/1 "2004-07-02T20:30:27Z")

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Now now, dear mods, no need to click that lock, I have no actual interest in smuggling drugs, in balloons or otherwise. But I am wondering off seeing a movie trailer involving it about the profitability of such a venture. On average, how many condoms does a mule swallow and what’s the street value?

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**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273/2 "2004-07-02T21:00:37Z")

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From [here](http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5050399/):

> [@](#):
>
> Drug mules usually carry about two pounds of narcotics in 18 to 25 pellets. A pellet consists of a condom or latex glove stuffed with the drugs.

The street value is, obviously, highly variable. Published reports of street value also mostly rely on the estimates of law-enforcement agencies with structural incentives to estimate the value on the high side. Assuming was the article means is actually “about a kilogram,” and using the figures from [this DoJ press release](http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs07/717/cocaine.htm), it would be worth $15,000.00 - $32,000.00.

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**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273/3 "2004-07-02T22:29:34Z")

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Steve-O (of _Jackass_ and _Wildboyz_ fame) wrote in his blog about trying to smuggle drugs in a swallowed condom. He wound up getting jailed while in Sweden for the smuggling. His experience sounded _highly_ unpleasant and said he felt like something was stuck in his throat the entire time, took seven days for the stash to “resurface” and after he was arrested x-rays still showed that there was something inside of him.

I know you said you weren’t planning to do it, so this isn’t supposed to be a warning or anything. I’m just sayin’ that the physical pain wouldn’t be worth it.

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**Author:** ![Psilocybe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Psilocybe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psilocybe)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smuggling-drug-balloons-worth-my-time/253273/4 "2004-07-03T04:01:45Z")

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> [@paperbackwriter](#):
>
> and using the figures from this DoJ press release, it would be worth $15,000.00 - $32,000.00.

Keep in mind, the media always exaggerates the price of drugs.