This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, Glenn Chibasellow Ooko, a 43-year-old Kenyan man, flew into Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport from Ethiopia, unaware that his journey was about to take a dramatic turn.
Thai authorities detained Ooko after an x-ray revealed dozens of oblong items in his stomach, which were later found to be filled with cocaine.
According to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, Ooko had swallowed 68 packets of cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms.
He was arrested along with Nigerian national Osita Joseph Ukpa, who allegedly hired Ooko to smuggle the drugs.
Thailand has long been a major hub for drug smuggling, with its porous borders and lax law enforcement making it easier for transnational crime networks to transport their goods.
