Dubai: A man who was caught with heroin in his stomach at Dubai International Airport led the police to five other suspects who between them had swallowed 3kg of heroin.

Colonel Khalid Al Kawari, deputy director of Dubai Police's Anti-Narcotics Department, said customs officers suspected an Afghani man who was coming into the country.

The man was targeted by inspectors after he looked afraid and confused.

A customs officer found five capsules of heroin with the suspect, who was then taken to the full-body scanner which showed foreign objects in his intestines.

Swallowed capsules

When he was asked what he was carrying, the man confessed he had swallowed 95 capsules containing drugs. He was taken to hospital where he passed 37 capsules containing 297g of heroin, and later on passed another 57 capsules containing 564g of heroin.

The suspect told police he was going to deliver the capsules to another Afghan upon instructions from the person who gave him the capsules in Pakistan and asked him to deliver them for Dh2,000.

One suspect led the police to the next, and on July 11, a third suspect was arrested in a restaurant in Qouz. He confessed he was there to receive the drugs for Dh300.

Meanwhile, the third suspect received a call from another suspect, who told him he arrived in the UAE with his share of the capsules. He was arrested in Abu Dhabi, and 80 capsules were found in his stomach.

On July 21, the fourth suspect received a call from a fifth suspect informing him he had 80 capsules and wanted to deliver them to the third suspect for Dh5,000. He was also arrested.

The third suspected received a call from the sixth suspect, who arrived from a GCC country to deliver more capsules, on July 24.

Charged

The sixth suspect was also arrested in Abu Dhabi.

The suspects were charged with smuggling and possession of narcotics and psychotropic substances with the aim of promoting them.

Ali Saleh Al Muqahwi, Head of Airport Operations at Dubai International Airport Customs, said inspectors at all entry points have been trained to read body language and point out any suspect people.

Al Muqahwi also said there were body scanners in Dubai Airport — one in each terminal.

"These scanners show the smallest details and nothing escapes them whether on or inside the body," he said, adding people suspected of smuggling banned items undergo the scan.