Man who swallowed 78 heroin capsules caught at Dubai International Airport

The man was caught out after his erratic behaviour drew the attention of airport officials.

DUBAI // A man has been caught trying to pass through Dubai International Airport with 78 packets of heroin, weighing 1 kilogram, in his stomach.

It was the largest haul of narcotics by Dubai Customs this year.

Officers searched the man who had appeared jittery as he tried to enter the country, said Falah Al Sammak, Customs manager at Terminal 2.

“Dubai Customs inspectors became suspicious when he walked past passport control into the Customs inspection zone because he looked unnaturally frantic and anxious,” Mr Al Sammak said.

He said a search of the man’s luggage proved fruitless, so officers X-rayed him.

“The suspect confessed to having swallowed packets stuffed with narcotics,” Mr Al Sammak said.

The man told officers he did not know how many packets he had swallowed or what was in them. But he said he received them at an Asian airport and was to deliver them to someone in the UAE who would pay him.

In November last year, airport officials seized 5.2kg of heroin in 477 packets, which had been swallowed by seven Asian passengers.

That was the biggest haul of its kind at a Dubai airport.