RM500,000 worth of cocaine found in man's stomach

KUALA LUMPUR: A Peruvian national arrived in Malaysia from Buenos Aires via Johannesburg, breezed through Customs and Immigration undetected with RM500,000 worth of cocaine in his stomach.

The trafficker, in his late 20s thought he had escaped as he got into a taxi from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Petaling Street about 7am on Tuesday.

The trafficker, however, did not realise that he was being followed by a team of officers from the city police's narcotics department.

After getting out of the taxi in Jalan Petaling, he made a call from a telephone booth and was nabbed as soon as he stepped out.

He was sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital where he was subjected to an X-ray examination which showed foreign objects in his intestines.

He was given laxative and several minutes later, the trafficker passed out about 50 pellets of cocaine.

A source told the New Straits Times that the pellets were made out of paper, rubber, plastic and wax which were unbreakable and waterproof.

Previously, the traffickers used condoms but they were unreliable as they were instances when the drugs seeped out. This could endanger the lives of the traffickers.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspect had swallowed about 2kg of cocaine which is double the normal amount swallowed by the drug traffickers.

It is believed that the Peruvian may have swallowed that amount in order to receive a bigger pay-off.

It is also learnt that the traffickers does not speak English and that police are looking for a Spanish-speaking interpreter to question him.

He is currently under heavy police guard at the hospital as they wait for the rest of the cocaine to be passed out.

Police are also trying to track the person who the Peruvian contacted. They believe he could also be a member of international drug trafficking syndicate.

Federal Narcotics director Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Abang Julai confirmed the arrest but declined to elaborate.

It is learnt that police had contacted the Peruvian Embassy to notify them of the arrest and to get more information on the trafficker.

This is the second case this month.

A week ago, a businessman was caught in KLIA, trying to smuggle 70 heroin-filled condoms out of he country.

The locale's ploy failed when he was slopped by Customs officers who noticed him behaving suspiciously near the international departure hall.

A body search was conducted and the man, in his 40s, confessed he had swallowed 70 condoms containing heroin worth RM500,000.

He was immediately rushed to the Seremban Hospital. He is being detained for investigations.

Source: NST newspaper