A 78 year old Spanish national was arrested in Bogota’s International airport as he tried to board a flight to Barcelona while carrying nearly a pound of cocaine in his stomach, according to local media.
The elderly man was said to be in a nervous state during routine questioning before boarding the flight.
Due to his nervous state and inconsistent answers during the routine questioning, the suspect was then transferred to a holding room where he agreed to undergo an x-ray which revealed “strange substances within his intestine”, official sources were quoted as saying by newspaper El Espectador.
The elderly man was transferred to Kennedy hospital in the city’s south where he was found to have around 27 capsules within his intestine holding 400 grams of cocaine, according to the Colombian authorities.
He was subsequently charged with possessing and trafficking drugs and has been transferred to the Picota jail in Bogota
Although drug “mules” or “human mail” have been commonly used in the past by drug dealers as a way of getting drugs out of the country, this suspect is the oldest foreigner to be arrested for the crime, reported newspaper El Tiempo.
Sources:
- Capturan a ‘mula’ española de 78 años en Eldorado (El Espectador)
- Capturan hombre de 78 años que iba a viajar con cocaína a Barcelona (El Tiempo)