This archive report was first published on 23 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, a Kenyan man, Glenn Chibasellow Ooko, flew into Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, from Ethiopia. Unbeknownst to him, his journey was about to take a dramatic turn.
Thai authorities detected suspicious contents in Ooko's stomach during a routine check. X-ray photos provided by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) revealed rectangular objects in his belly.
Further investigation revealed that Ooko was carrying 68 cocaine packets weighing 1.2 kilograms. According to the ONCB, 'He swallowed cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms, which were in 68 packets.'
Ooko was apprehended alongside another suspect, Osita Joseph Ukpa, a Nigerian national who allegedly hired him to smuggle the narcotics.
Drug trafficking is a capital offense in Thailand, punishable by death. The country's porous borders and lax law enforcement make it a hub for transnational crime networks to transport narcotics.
