Calay News
Two individuals were arrested in South Carolina after Anderson County police discovered cocaine hidden in the suspected belly of a pregnant woman, CBS reports.
During a proactive patrol operation at an interstate highway stop, deputies arrested the suspects, identified as Anthony Miller and Cemeka Mitchem, for suspicious behavior, according to the county sheriff’s office.
Mitchem apparently appeared to be pregnant, but police had a hunch something was amiss when the couple provided conflicting information about how long they had been pregnant. The woman realized suspicion was on her and attempted to flee, but at that point the drug fell out of her fake pregnant belly, which was made of rubber. The officers collected more than 1,500 grams of cocaine as they cleaned up the scene of the incident.
Police did not release information about the incident until late Sunday, although county records show the couple was arrested on April 12.
The police station also released a depiction of the events of that day, sharing an image of a police officer posing with a fake belly. Meanwhile, Miller and Mitchem now face cocaine trafficking charges and have been denied bail.
Earlier this year, South Carolina warned that the state continues to experience a “significant increase” in drug overdose deaths, which rose to 2,168 in 2021 compared to 573 in 2012. Most of these deaths are due to opioids.
Other drugs are mixed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid several times more potent than heroin, without users’ awareness, which can lead to fatal overdoses even in small amounts.
