DRUG CARRIER DIED OF CANCER

Police believe a 71-year-old man who died of liver cancer on the weekend
was being used as a drug mule to smuggle cocaine out of Canada.

Doctors discovered 13 drug pellets wrapped inside the man when they
examined him at a Toronto hospital after he was rushed there by ambulance
from Pearson International Airport Saturday morning.

Stedman Rodriguez of St. Thomas, Jamaica, was pronounced dead at 1:50 a.m.
Sunday at William Osler's Etobicoke hospital site.

"Mr. Rodriguez passed away from liver cancer, not from any drug overdose,"
Staff Sergeant Al MacIntosh of the Peel police airport division said.

"None of the cocaine pellets inside of him burst. It was just a coincidence
that he passed away and they happened to find drugs inside of him."

Rodriguez showed up "disoriented and confused" at the departures counter in
the public area of Terminal 1 at Pearson at 7:20 a.m. Saturday, police
said. He was complaining of stomach pain.

"When somebody that age comes up to a counter and is confused, you think
they may be suffering from Alzheimer's disease," MacIntosh said.

"So it was a bit of surprise to everybody when they found he had swallowed
drugs. It definitely is unusual."

Rodriguez was taken to hospital, where a single drug pellet was found in
his rectal area during an examination at about 1:20 p.m.

"At 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, surgery was done and 12 more pellets were
removed from his bowel area...and then he died early Sunday morning,"
MacIntosh said.

"There were also small traces of cocaine in his blood system, but not as a
result of any of the packages opening."

Police say the 13 pellets contained 122 grams of cocaine with an estimated
street value of $48,000.

Investigators spoke briefly on the telephone with Rodriguez' son in
Jamaica. He insisted his father wasn't involved in any criminal activity.

Rodriguez, who arrived in Toronto on June 26, wasn't even scheduled to fly
home until July 6.

"We're not sure if he was at the airport to meet anybody or was going to
get on another plane and go somewhere else," MacIntosh said.

"What we know is that he was at the airport in the departures area, which
would suggest he was going somewhere, and that he had ingested drugs, which
is generally the mode somebody uses to smuggle drugs out of the country.

Police intend to interview Rodriguez' son again when he arrives to claim
the body this week.