Man swallows 72 bags of cocaine, tries to sneak through customs

with a kilo of cocaine hidden in his guts.
The 20-year-old holidaymaker, identified only as PBB, was stopped as he tried to board a flight back to Europe from Sao Paolo’s Congonhas Airport.

He had somehow managed to stuff 72 bags, containing almost a kilo of coke with a street value of up to 150 000 euros, down his throat, according to police.
Border security became suspicious after the man appeared to be nervous as he arrived at the departures gate last Monday, the Irish Independent reported.

He was taken to the nearby Santa Misericordia Hospital where scans confirmed the presence of the suspect packages in his intestines.
Brazilian prosecutors have now charged him with international drug trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years.

About five people are arrested every day trying to smuggle drugs through Congonhas Airport, which connects to 53 countries.
It is notorious as a major exit point for drug mules bringing cocaine from South America to the rest of the world.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs told The Journal that they were investigating the case.
The Brazilian penal system is slow, and it could be up to six months before the young man appears in court. – Daily Mail.