Drug suspect passes heroin capsules

MEDAN, North Sumatra: After five days in the Elizabeth Hospital here, drug suspect Okonkwo Nonso Kingsley passed 68 heroin-filled capsules.

The suspect had told police upon his arrest that he had swallowed 65 capsules.

Each capsule contained 1.1 grams of heroin.

First Insp. Eko Sulistyo, the head of the Medan Police's drug unit, said the suspect, a South African national, swallowed the capsules in Karachi, the capital of Pakistan.

Kingsley said during questioning that he traveled to Medan via Kuala Lumpur.

He was arrested on Saturday by officers from the Medan Customs Office, just after he arrived at Polonia airport in Medan, Eko said.

The 29-year-old South African has remained silent on where he got the drugs from, only saying that he was to receive US$1,000 upon handing over the capsules to a buyer in Medan, said Eko.

Kingsley is being held by the Medan Police for further questioning. -- JP