This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
On August 20, 2019, Glenn Chibasellow Ooko, a 43-year-old Kenyan national, was detained at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, after arriving from Ethiopia.
According to Thai authorities, an x-ray revealed dozens of oblong items in Ooko's stomach, which were later found to contain cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms, packed in 68 packets.
"He swallowed cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms, which were in 68 packets," the Office of the Narcotics Control Board announced in a statement.
Ooko was arrested along with Nigerian national Osita Joseph Ukpa, who allegedly hired the Kenyan to smuggle the drugs.
Thai authorities believe this incident is part of a larger drug network operating in the country.
Thailand has long been a major hub for drug smuggling due to its porous borders and lax law enforcement, making it easier for transnational crime networks to transport their goods.
