Gran Canaria Airport: Man, 49, arrested for attempting to smuggle 900 grams of cocaine in his body after swallowing 58 capsules pre-flight

A 49-year-old man has been arrested at Gran Canaria Airport for attempting to smuggle nearly 1,000 grams of cocaine hidden inside his body in plastic capsules. The Canarian Weekly reports that the Guardia Civil detained him after he tried to evade security controls by using airport services designated for people with reduced mobility.

The man was arriving on a flight from Europe via the Spanish mainland to Gran Canaria and raised suspicions among officers leading to a thorough inspection. Initially, no illicit items were discovered in his hand luggage however the man's nervous behaviour prompted officers to carry out a radiological test.

The test results revealed numerous bullet-shaped capsules inside his body. The man confessed to having swallowed 58 capsules of cocaine, each measuring 5cm in length, prior to the flight.

After the scan, the detainee was admitted to a hospital as if the capsules burst inside the body it can be fatal. Subsequent analysis confirmed that the capsules contained more than 900 grams of cocaine and the man was arrested for drug trafficking.

The nationality of the man, nor his name, have yet been released.