Weapons, gold and drugs: the narco museum

The purpose of a museum is to preserve history. The building of National Security in Mexico City houses a museum which is not open to the public and tells the history of today. It's the museum of drug trafficking where jewellery, weapons, clothing, religious artefacts and other items seized from the traffickers are on display.

It is the only one of its kind in the world and it´s only open to the armed forces, public officials and maybe a tenacious red tape defying journalist! BBC Mundo gained access to the Enervantes Museum in Mexico City ... known unofficially as the "Narcomuseum".

The building is unique: an exhibition of the history of drug trafficking in Mexico along with a display of items seized from the traffickers. Most of the exhibition is given over to illustrating the numerous tricks of the trade used in drug smuggling as well as the ostentatious trappings surrounding the world of narcotics, where pistols are inlaid with gold and rifles encrusted with emeralds.

There are vehicles with false compartments, false-bottomed shoes, hollowed out tree stumps, petrol tanks, even surf boards and of course human mules who carry the drugs inside their bodies.

Its ten rooms tell the story of the country´s drug trafficking. And its aim is to train those in charge to suppress it.

Captain Claudio Montané, Narcomuseum guide said "This case in particular came up at Mexico City airport. A woman, as she got off a flight from Colombia, started feeling very sick. When she was examined by medics, 40 packets of heroin, 4 kilos in total, were found in the buttocks - 2 kilos in each."

In the last of the rooms, there is a further surprise! It´s the one reserved for narcoculture, that world of ostentation the drug capos usually surround themselves with.

"They really go over the top with their jewellery, their expensive cowboy boots and hats. They are no shrinking violets. They make themselves noticed as much among their own people as with strangers. It´s their way of intimidating and reinforcing their own identity." said Captain Montané.

Nowhere is that ostentation more visible than in their weapons. Here we can see the Mexican army´s exhibition of some veritable jewels (literally!) - weapons seized from the traffickers. There´s a Colt 38 with a gold handle and encrusted with 389 cubic zirconias and 22 emeralds, which belonged to "Chapo" Guzmán, and an AK47 - the infamous "goat´s horn" - many of its parts gold-plated.

Not exactly what you would be able to get at the corner shop.

Carlos Ceresole, BBC Mundo, Mexico City