India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has recovered 1.3 kilograms of fine quality Colombian cocaine stashed in 90 capsules from the stomach of a Nigerian, who had come to Delhi from Lome, Togo.
According to The Times of India, the accused was taken to hospital where an X-ray confirmed the presence of foreign bodies in his stomach.
He was kept in the hospital for two days during which he expelled 90 capsules containing 1.3kg cocaine.
The Nigerian was identified as Monday Tony Okonkwo. He arrived at IGI airport in an Ethiopian Airlines plane on February 6.
“When we conducted a thorough search of his body and baggage, he denied having any drugs or banned substance with him. However, the NCB team got suspicious when he said that he had come to India regarding his business of wigs and hair, but was found travelling on a tourist visa,” said Rajender Pal Singh, deputy director general of the agency.
Tony was taken to Safdarjung hospital where an X-ray confirmed the presence of foreign bodies in his stomach.
During interrogation, the man revealed that he had ingested the drug capsules at a guesthouse in Lagos.
“The accused said he took around three hours to ingest the capsules and then took a flight to Lome,” he said.
He then travelled to Addis Ababa from where he boarded a flight to New Delhi. His passport has corroborated the claims, according to Singh .
Okonkwo was supposed to deliver the drugs to another distributor who would have contacted him once his Indian number was active.
“We are on the lookout for his handlers based in India and Nigeria,” Singh added.
NCB believes the cartel is being run by a group based in Peru or Bolivia and is the same one that had employed a Brazilian woman to carry the contraband in swallowed packs.
The consignments were said to have first been taken to Sao Paolo, Brazil, and distributed throughout West African countries before sent to India via Ethiopia or Abu Dhabi.
