Traveller found to have 1.5kg of cocaine capsules in his stomach

                       

A transiting Nigerian drug mule was found to have 90 capsules containing 1.5kg of cocaine in his stomach, a court heard on Sunday.

Airport officers suspected the 37-year-old was carrying drugs and took him to Rashid Hospital on February 9. There he underwent surgery to remove the drugs from his stomach, after he failed to discharge all of them from his body, a court heard on Sunday.

An Emirati police officer who was in charge of guarding the man at the hospital told prosecutors that he was only able to discharge 23 capsules, weighing 405.2g.

“The doctor at the hospital said the drug mule should be taken to surgery to remove the drugs from his stomach," the officer said.

Sixty seven capsules weighing 1.2kg were removed from defendant’s stomach, while another came out of the defendant’s body after the operation.

In total, the man was carrying 1.58kg of cocaine.

At Dubai Criminal Court, he pleaded guilty to a charge of drug trafficking.

A verdict will be given on June 16.