Borderland Beat material from Colombian Report
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A massive manhunt is underway for a Colombian father who used his 11-year-old daughter as drug mule, forcing her to swallow 104 capsules of cocaine, one of which burst inside her stomach, authorities said.
The child remains in critical condition
The unidentified child is in critical condition at a Cali hospital. A composite sketch of her father, who was not named, was released by police in Colombia along with a reward offer of $10,000 for information leading to his capture.
The girl was rushed to an emergency room by her mother and father, who ran in with the child in his arms, according to surveillance video. She is seen writhing on a gurney as hospital staff sprint her away. The video also shows the dad and another man walking out of the hospital. The father did not return. The mother was arrested.
“The mother of the victim told the police that her daughter had been with her father, who doesn’t live with the family, from around 12 PM to 6 PM on Monday. Later that evening, the girl started experiencing pain in her stomach and was subsequently taken to the hospital,” explained police spokesman.
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“We’re looking at a perverse case of child abuse by adults,” added the police commander.
The father and daughter were supposed to board a plane headed for Spain, authorities said. From there, the pair was going to fly to the Canary Islands, police said.
Officers who raided the man's home found a ticket for Madrid in the girl's name.
Welfare authorities said they would take the girl into custody.
"In 30 years of service I've seen all kinds of strategies to smuggle drugs but nothing as reprehensible as this," said Gen. Hoover Penilla, Cali's police commander.
The capsules contained more than a pound of cocaine.