 Australian man dies after swallowing drug-packed condoms
Australian man dies after swallowing drug-packed condoms
BANGKOK - A SUSPECTED Australian drug smuggler died after some of the 60 hashish-packed condoms he swallowed burst, Thai police said on Friday.
John Paul Jones, 51, died in southern Thailand on Saturday after an X-ray found he had 60 hashish-packed condoms weighing a total of 794 grams in his stomach, Lt Col Weerasak Pokarat said.
The scattered drugs badly affected his colon and liver, he said.
Lt Col Weerasak said the Australian embassy had been informed of his death but nobody had yet come forward to claim Jones' body.
He said if Jones had survived, he would have faced a drug trafficking charge, carrying a maximum prison term of 20 years.
It wasn't immediately clear where he planned to smuggle the hashish.
Lt Col Weerasak said Jones had been charged with possession of hashish in 2006 but was acquitted after a yearlong trial.
Friends had taken Jones to a hospital in Surat Thani province, saying he had been complaining of severe stomach pain for five days, Lt Col Weerasak said. The friends disappeared after dropping Jones off.
Jones had been staying on the southern island of Koh Phangan, known for its active party scene. -- AP | 
