This archive report was first published on 23 August 2019.
On August 21, 2019, a Kenyan man, Glenn Chibasellow Ooko, flew into Thailand from Ethiopia, unaware that his journey would end in arrest.
Thai authorities apprehended Ooko at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok after suspicious contents in his stomach were detected during a routine security check.
According to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), X-ray photos revealed rectangular objects in Ooko's belly.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect was carrying 68 cocaine packets weighing 1.2 kilograms.
"He swallowed cocaine weighing 1.2 kilograms, which were in 68 packets," the ONCB stated.
Ooko was arrested 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.
Thailand's porous borders and lax law enforcement make it a major hub for international drug smuggling operations.
