Creative Ways To Hide Drugs In Plain Site

You can define drug hiding a couple of ways. One is the smuggling route, where drug mules swallow or insert drugs in various orifices, to transport them from point A to point B. It’s a constant battle between traffickers’ continued efforts to better shield the contraband from law enforcements’ prying eyes.

Then there’s another way of hiding drugs and alcohol, mostly from the prying eyes of loved ones.

There are a wealth of containers that can hide almost anything. The majority are marketed as ways to hide jewelry or cash, but there are other things that can be hidden away.

Something as innocent as a hairbrush or as boring as a lint roller can be a place to squirrel away all sorts of things.

Everyday items get to do double duty sometimes. One news story mentioned a teen who hid his marijuana stash underneath the plastic bag of a variety of cereal no one in the family was eating. Others have hidden drugs in potato chip cans or salt shakers, with a little tweaking to mask the surprise.

Sometimes drugs can be taped behind dressers or beneath drawers, underneath mattresses, or tucked into pockets of clothing, or even sewn into the lining of clothing.

Law enforcement has even found drugs hidden in the trash. No one normally will bother to check around there, which makes it a prime spot. The same goes for any long-underutilized area. Mom hasn’t done any crafting in a while? Check the craft kit. Dad hasn’t been working in the garage for ages? That could be a location too.

Drugs can be hidden virtually anywhere. Basically, where there’s a will, there’s a way. A better way to spot drug or alcohol abuse: look for changes in behavior.

Some potential red flags include:

• Spending time with a new peer group 
• Plummeting grades, or the quality of one’s work declines
• Skipping classes, school, showing up late to work or class
• Losing interest in favorite activities
• Experiencing changes in sleep and eating behaviors
• Having strained relationships with family and friends

It’s better to look for those kinds of signs of a problem first, rather than worrying about whether a snack tin or a light switch is hiding something extra. The marketplace has loads of options for hiding valuables (or contraband, depending where one shops). 

Many users and smugglers get highly creative with where they hide their poison of choice. Smugglers have resorted to packing pineapples with cocaine or putting drugs into fake buttocks. Search the term hiding money on a site like Amazon and a wealth of items where a person can hide their cash, jewelry, or stash will pop up.

Consider whether someone is struggling with something too. It could be depression or anxiety. (Is there a family history? Are they coping with something? Bullying? Job stress? COVID-19 stress?) Depending on the circumstances, it might be a good time to bring in professional outside help. Some people may need extra help, and there’s no shame in that. Reach out and learn about our drug and alcohol rehab centers.

Sources

sciencedirect.com – New packaging methods of body packers: Role of advanced imaging in their detection. A case study

ranker.com – The Most Genius Stash Containers Money Can Buy

courier-journal.com – Not even the Bible is safe. Here’s where experts say some kids hide their drugs

drugabuse.gov – What are signs of drug use in adolescents, and what role can parents play in getting treatment?

bbc.com – Cocaine smuggling: The bizarre tactics used to hide drugs

sunshinebehavioralhealth.com – 5 Aspects of Drug Abuse Every Person Must Know