Dubai: A transit passenger went on trial after he was accused of smuggling drugs in 80 condoms hidden in his stomach, a Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Monday.
The 49-year-old defendant from Peru was charged with carrying 2.3kg of cocaine when he was caught at Dubai International Airport.
According to official records, the defendant was on his way to Egypt in February this year when a Dubai Customs inspector caught him in the transit area.
He was questioned by officers from the Anti-Narcotic Department who found strange items in his stomach.
A forensic report revealed that the defendant had hidden liquid drugs hidden in 80 condoms inside his stomach.
He confessed to smuggling the drugs to Egypt.
A verdict will be passed on April 22 while the man will remain in custody.
Meanwhile, smuggling the liquid form of the drug in condoms or wraps in the body is said to carry a huge fatal risk.
According to the Interpol Global Complex in Singapore, the UAE had identified an increasing trend of liquid cocaine being trafficked.
“Smugglers would swallow condoms packed with liquid cocaine but unlike other drugs, this type of concealment is harder to detect by traditional X-ray or computed tomography imagery,” said Interpol in a statement.
