Manama: A plane passenger had swallowed 80 capsules containing 577 grams of heroin in an attempt to smuggle the drug into Saudi Arabia.
However, customs officers at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah have foiled the attempt, the third of its kind in a short period of time.
Bandar Al Rahili, the head of customs at the airport, said the two previous attempts were by passengers who swallowed 250 capsules containing 1,655 grams of heroin.
In the latest case, the suspect was spotted by a customs officer who became suspicious of his behaviour, Al Rahili was quoted by Saudi news site Sabq as saying on Wednesday.
He was searched and then had to go through a body scan that revealed the presence of the capsules in his stomach.
The first two suspects were arrested in the same way,” he added.
“Swallowing capsules filled with heroin has now become a routine for smugglers attempting to get heroin into the kingdom,” Al Rahili said. “The Saudi customs have acquired the technical tools and the skills to handle such situation efficiently. The seizures reflect the experience and diligence of the officers and how they can spot smugglers.”
The procedures followed in such cases against the suspects have been taken, he added.
