Originally published on July 11, 2013

Latin American drug gangs have been using dogs to smuggle cocaine from Mexico to Milan, Italian police say. Members of youth drug gangs called "pandillas" allegedly hid packets of cocaine inside large dogs and flew the drugs from Mexico to Milan.

Plastic bags containing the cocaine were wrapped in black vinyl tape to shield them from airport X-ray checks. A veterinarian in Mexico forced the dogs to swallow the cocaine. The dogs then were then flown from Mexico to Milan, where they were killed and dismembered to retrieve the drugs.

The cocaine smuggling operation was discovered in March, when 75 people were arrested. An Italian judge has ordered 49 Peruvian, Ecuadorean and Salvadoran nationals ranging in age from 19 to 37 years old to stand trial in Italy for their alleged involvement in the operation.

The gangs involved were identified as the Trebol, Neta, Latin King Luzbel and Latin Kings Chicago.

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