1.28kg of cocaine found in smuggler's stomach at Dubai Airport

An inexperienced smuggler who appeared restless upon landing at an airport in Dubai rose suspicion leading to further screening.

Apparently, his luggage had been screened and was clean, he'd gone through a manual search and was found to be clean too. But the man still appeared restless and anxious! It's at that point that he was sent for intestinal screening and was found to have ingested 60 drug capsules weighing about 1.28kg.

According to the Dubai local media:

Dubai Customs inspectors have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1.28kg of cocaine stuffed in 60 capsules and concealed in an African passenger’s stomach. The smuggler who swallowed this huge quantity of cocaine pills was coming into the UAE from an African country through Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3.

Ali Al Mugahwi, Director of Airport Operations Department at Dubai Customs, said: ”Thanks to our inspectors’ expertise, vigilance and knowledge of body language, the African passenger raised their suspicions as he walked into the Customs checkpoint.”  

Routine inspection procedures include screening the passenger’s luggage, followed by a manual search. At this stage, if the passenger shows signs of restlessness and anxiety while nothing unusual is found in his luggage, he is referred to a hi-tech device which can reveal any hidden substances in his intestines.

Al Mugahwi said murky objects were detected in the passenger’s bowels. When he was questioned, the smuggler confessed that he was given the narcotics at the departure airport, where he had ingested 60 capsules filled up with 1.28kg of cocaine. The plan was to eject the drug pills once in the UAE and deliver them to someone in exchange for money.   

The smuggler, the seizure report and the narcotics were handed over to the General Department of Anti-Narcotics for further action.