This man attempted to smuggle heroin in his intestine

The smuggler swallowed nine capsules of the drug worth Dh150,000 in the local market

Police in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), United Arab Emirates (UAE) has arrested an alleged Asian passenger who was attempting to smuggle heroin into the country.

According to a Khaleej Times report, the man had swallowed eight capsules of narcotics weighing 51.6gm and worth Dh150,000 in the local market, RAK police said on Monday.

The narcotics were extracted from the gut of the passenger at the arrivals terminal at RAK International Airport, police added.



"The anti-narcotics force managed to detect the smuggler because of his body language as he looked anxious."

When questioned, the smuggler admitted to collecting the drugs from a dealer in his country and that he had taken the drug a day before travel.

"He swallowed the narcotics and stopped eating for around 24 hours to keep the capsules undamaged. That posed a grave risk to his life as any leak would poison him," said Director of Anti-narcotics Department RAK police Col Adnan Ali Al Zaabi.



In January, a court in Dubai sentenced a Frenchman to life in prison following his conviction for possessing 66.5gm of cocaine he intended to sell.

One of seven Sheikhdoms that form the United Arab Emirates, Dubai is home to thousands of expatriate workers and a popular destination for Western tourists.

It has strict drug laws, with possession punishable by at least four years in prison and those convicted of trafficking facing sentences, including the death penalty.